Written questions by Dance.

What steps he is taking to strengthen the social care workforce in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset.

For adult social care workforce in specific areas, local authorities hold the duty to ensure sufficient provision. Under the Care Act 2014, they must promote an effective market to meet local care and support needs, including fostering a workforce able to deliver high quality services.Nationally, the Government plans to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This will improve recruitment and retention and give staff better recognition for their vital work. The £500 million forms part of the approximately £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29, compared to 2025/26.Ensuring staff have the skills and training needed to work in social care is also essential, both to attract people to join and remain in the workforce, and for the provision of high-quality care and support. That is why we have developed the Care Workforce Pathway, the first national career framework for adult social care, and we are investing £12 million in learning and development through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, to enable eligible staff to complete eligible courses and qualifications.These actions form part of our wider commitment to improving skills and support for the social care workforce.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) palliative and (b) end of life care for patients in Yeovil constituency.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families, including those in Yeovil, receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.The recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium-Term Planning Guidance also make clear the expectations that integrated care boards should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. St Margaret’s Hospice Care, which serves patients in the Yeovil constituency, is receiving £816,184 from this funding.

What steps he is taking to improve training on cleft in (a) undergraduate dental education and (b) ongoing dental professional development.

The standard of training for dentists is the responsibility of the General Dental Council (GDC) who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses and dental schools to write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the GDC’s outcome standards.Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasise the skills and approaches a dentist must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.NHS England commissions services for children, young people, and adults with a cleft lip and/or palate. The patient pathway can start from pre-birth and continues into adulthood. Cleft services provide care through multi-disciplinary teams, and the comprehensive care pathway will include elements such as paediatric dentistry, restorative dentistry, and orthodontics. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d07-cleft-lip.pdf

What steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dental care for people with clefts in Yeovil constituency.

We recognise that certain groups of patients may be more vulnerable to oral health problems, including patients with clefts.NHS England commissions services for children, young people, and adults with a cleft lip and/or palate. The patient pathway can start from pre-birth and continues into adulthood. Cleft services provide care through multi-disciplinary teams, and the comprehensive care pathway will include elements such as paediatric dentistry, restorative dentistry, and orthodontics. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d07-cleft-lip.pdfRegarding access to general primary care National Health Service dentistry, the responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025.ICBs are also recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

What steps he is taking to help reduce stigma around mental health in Yeovil constituency.

The Government is committed to creating an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, reduces stigma, and improves the lives of young people living with a mental health problem, including those in the Yeovil constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving assertive outreach, investment into mental health emergency departments, increasing access to evidence-based digital interventions, and providing mental health support teams in schools and colleges In Somerset more widely, the Open Mental Health Alliance is a partnership between local voluntary organizations and the National Health Service, created to improve the way people in Somerset receive support with their mental health by integrating teams across mental health services and acute hospitals and by providing access to a number of specialist services. These include a range of third sector bodies offering a single point of contact, enabling patients to access the appropriate assistance, be it care in the community, talking therapy, community mental health, or acute services.

What steps he is taking to encourage young people in Yeovil constituency requiring mental health support to seek help.

The Government is committed to creating an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, reduces stigma, and improves the lives of young people living with a mental health problem, including those in the Yeovil constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving assertive outreach, investment into mental health emergency departments, increasing access to evidence-based digital interventions, and providing mental health support teams in schools and colleges In Somerset more widely, the Open Mental Health Alliance is a partnership between local voluntary organizations and the National Health Service, created to improve the way people in Somerset receive support with their mental health by integrating teams across mental health services and acute hospitals and by providing access to a number of specialist services. These include a range of third sector bodies offering a single point of contact, enabling patients to access the appropriate assistance, be it care in the community, talking therapy, community mental health, or acute services.

Whether he plans to review the adequacy of the £30,000 grant cap for the Disabled Facilities Grant in England.

In England, the Government continues to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes.We have provided an additional £172 million across the current and previous financial years to uplift the DFG, which could provide approximately 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.We continue to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. Recently, we carried out a review of the upper limit for the DFG. We are currently considering the findings.

Whether he is taking steps to establish a specialised service for people with very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue symptom in Yeovil constituency.

We published the final myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), delivery plan on 22 July, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.The commissioning of ME/CFS services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS Somerset ICB, which covers the Yeovil constituency, based on their local population. The ME/CFS final delivery plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS.

Whether he plans to require Integrated Care Boards to provide sustainable funding to enable (a) the continuation of successful pilot projects on Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders and (b) those projects to become regional centres of excellence.

NHS England has provided up to £1.5 million a year for the five current Type 1 Disordered Eating pilots for three years. This funding is transferred to integrated care boards on an annual basis and in 2025/26 has been ringfenced.Decisions on funding for future years have yet to be taken.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) clinical oncology workforce shortages and (b) staffing levels on the adoption of innovative cancer treatments by NHS Trusts.

We are building our cancer workforce. As of June 2025, there are over 1,800 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England. This is almost 440, or 31.5%, more than 2020.Following additional investment through recent spending review settlements, trainees across 16 cancer-related specialties, including clinical and medical oncology, increased from 623 to 773 per year, a 24% increase.To grow the workforce, NHS England has been expanding specialty training places in key cancer professions. Targeted national campaigns and outreach activities, for example in clinical oncology, also promote cancer career pathways, with a focus on increasing applications to under-supplied professions.Training Academies in Imaging, Endoscopy, and Genomics are being delivered across regions to provide intensive skills development and support new models of care, including for cancer patients. Ongoing investment in practice education enhances clinical supervision, education and training across cancer and diagnostic workforces, increases placement capacity, supports staff retention, and contributes to high-quality patient care.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NHS (a) funding and (b) commissioning structures on Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy provision in South West England.

The National Health Service keeps under review the range of services it offers patients. The use of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy is thought to prolong overall survival and improve quality of life. NHS England provides the treatment to those eligible across England.Our £70 million investment in new radiotherapy machines will ensure that the most advanced treatment is available and accessible to patients across the country. By March 2027, up to 27,500 additional treatments per year will be delivered, including up to 4,500 receiving their first treatment for cancer within 62 days of referral, helping to treat more cancer patients in faster time.Adiditionally, the Department is working closely with NHS England to make sure we have the right workforce with the right skills up and down the country. This includes cancer care and radiotherapy treatment services.

What steps NHS England is taking to raise awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders among healthcare professionals in diabetes and eating disorder services in (a) Somerset and (b) England.

NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.Pilot sites are delivering a national high level service specification alongside testing local novel approaches to improving care including to awareness raising of the condition amongst both diabetes and eating disorder health care professionals. A national evaluation is currently underway to assess the impact of the five current pilot services. NHS England will review the evaluation findings to understand further opportunities to promote awareness of T1DE amongst healthcare professionals beyond the five pilot areas.NHS England works alongside its partners to support the delivery of key messages around diabetes education and awareness. This includes through a digital diabetes platform which is developing educational resources for T1DE.

Whether he has made a recent assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of providing NHS standard eye tests to children in primary school in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.

The UK National Screening Committee recommends vision screening in school for children aged between four and five years old to look for reduced vision in one or both eyes.Free National Health Service sight tests are also widely available for children under 16 years old and under 19 years old in full time education from high street optical practices. To address challenges with access to high street NHS sight testing services faced by children with learning disabilities and/or autism, integrated care boards are now able to commission NHS sight tests in special educational settings across England.

Whether he has made a recent assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of providing NHS standard hearing tests to children in primary schools in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is an independent scientific advisory committee advising Ministers and the National Health Service about all aspects of population and targeted screening. It reviewed screening children for hearing problems in 2019 and did not recommend school age screening unless already implemented in an area. A summary of the recommendations conclusions is available at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/hearing-child/We would encourage anyone with concerns about their child’s hearing to speak with their general practitioner.The NHS does, however, run a national newborn hearing screening programme offering screening to all babies in England ideally within the first four to five weeks after they are born. The test can be done for babies up to the age of three months old. Newborn hearing screening aims to identify permanent moderate, severe and profound deafness and hearing impairment in newborn babies.

What steps he is taking to address geographic variations in (a) access and (b) efficacy of treatment for multiple sclerosis in (i) the South West and (ii) England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS), across England, including in the South West. The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.At a national level, to reduce variation in access and treatment for patients with MS, there are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions such as MS across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and promoting best practice.The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. Last month, NHS England published its updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification for Adults, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

If he will take steps to increase (a) awareness and (b) understanding of the association between (i) hypermobility and (ii) neurodivergence in the NHS.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for neurodivergent people. We expect ICBs to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, and for healthcare professionals to take these guidelines into account for the care and treatment of patients. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. The NICE guidelines on autism and those on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder highlight that, as part of the diagnostic process, clinicians should include an assessment of the person’s needs, co-existing conditions, and physical health, including fine and gross motor skills.In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidanceThis guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance highlights that physical health, and needs and difficulties, should feature as themes for discussion during the assessment process.

What assessment he has made of the potential need to improve screening for hypermobility in neurodivergent individuals.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for neurodivergent people. We expect ICBs to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, and for healthcare professionals to take these guidelines into account for the care and treatment of patients. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. The NICE guidelines on autism and those on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder highlight that, as part of the diagnostic process, clinicians should include an assessment of the person’s needs, co-existing conditions, and physical health, including fine and gross motor skills.In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidanceThis guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance highlights that physical health, and needs and difficulties, should feature as themes for discussion during the assessment process.

What assessment he has made of the potential links between hypermobility and neurodivergence.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for neurodivergent people. We expect ICBs to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, and for healthcare professionals to take these guidelines into account for the care and treatment of patients. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. The NICE guidelines on autism and those on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder highlight that, as part of the diagnostic process, clinicians should include an assessment of the person’s needs, co-existing conditions, and physical health, including fine and gross motor skills.In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidanceThis guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance highlights that physical health, and needs and difficulties, should feature as themes for discussion during the assessment process.

What steps he is taking to protect children in Yeovil constituency from air pollution.

Children can be susceptible to the health effects from long and short-term exposure to air pollution. The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out how the Government plans to reduce harmful air pollution, including through a review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which will set out measures to reduce emissions and everyone’s exposure to air pollution, including those most vulnerable to its effects such as children. We will continue to work across Government to reduce the health harms from air pollution.

What steps he is taking to support investment in memory assessment clinics in Yeovil constituency.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.The Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia. That is why we have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help places and systems identify where improvements need to be targeted and help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia. It will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.