Written questions by Rosindell.

How a) treatment plans b) payment plans are determined based on the patient’s status of i) British Citizen ii) Citizen of a British Overseas territory.

Treatment plans are agreed between clinicians and patients based on clinical needs. Only those who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom are required to pay for healthcare in England unless an exemption applies. Payment plans are agreed between trusts and the patient based on their individual circumstances, and where it is appropriate to do so.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 86606, what steps he has taken to ensure that citizens of British Overseas Territories have access to NHS services whilst resident in the UK.

National Health Service care is provided free at the point of use to people who are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. Being ordinarily resident broadly means living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis. People who are not considered ordinarily resident in the UK are required to pay for healthcare in England unless an exemption applies.If citizens of British Overseas Territories are assessed as being ordinarily resident in the UK, they are able to access NHS care free at the point of use.

What steps are being taken to improve patient access to clinically effective new blood cancer treatments for NHS patients.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NHS England funds NICE-recommended cancer medicines from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive draft NICE guidance, bringing forward patient access by approximately five months than would otherwise be the case.For the years 2023/24 to 2024/25, NICE recommended 25 medicines to treat blood cancer that are now available for the treatment of NHS patients.

What assessment has been made of the proportion of terminated NICE health technology appraisals that are for blood cancer treatments compared to other cancers.

Since August 2019, 31% of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals for blood cancer treatments were terminated as the company withdrew from the NICE appraisal process. For the same period, 21% of appraisals for all cancers were terminated.Between 2019 and 2025 so far, 93% of blood cancer treatment recommendations in completed NICE appraisals were positive, which is higher than the rate across the whole NICE portfolio. NICE has also recommended more treatments for blood cancers in draft guidance that are now available to eligible patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund.NICE strives to get the best care to patients fast and ensure value for the taxpayer. The aligned NICE and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency pathway, set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, will allow NICE to bring medicines to patients three to six months sooner. NICE also continues to support and work with companies to identify the best time to submit appraisals and to ensure they have a clear understanding of NICE’s methods and processes, to try and avoid terminations.

What recent steps he has taken to reduce instances of (a) suicide and (b) self-harm.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups for targeted and tailored support at a national level, including people who have self-harmed. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention.NHS England published Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management to support the Government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicideThe NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the Staying safe from suicide guidance.

How many instances of (a) suicide and (b) suicide attempts on NHS property have been reported in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

The information requested is not held centrally.

How many instances of patient neglect by NHS employees have been reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

Providers of National Health Services are responsible for collating organisational safeguarding data. Local authorities will hold data on referrals made on adult safeguarding to them by NHS or independent health services.At a national level, annual data on safeguarding adult referrals, including data on neglect and the location of risk, based on local authority area is published and available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/safeguarding-adults

How many instances of neglect by NHS visiting carers have been reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

Providers of National Health Services are responsible for collating organisational safeguarding data. Local authorities will hold data on referrals made on adult safeguarding to them by NHS or independent health services.At a national level, annual data on safeguarding adult referrals, including data on neglect and the location of risk, based on local authority area is published and available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/safeguarding-adults

What steps he has taken to provide doctors with a plan to improve (a) pay for NHS doctors and (b) job security for NHS doctors.

The Government accepted the headline pay recommendations for National Health Service doctors made by the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Renumeration (DDRB) for 2025/26. Consultant and Specialist and Specialty doctors received pay uplifts above forecast inflation of 4% and resident doctors received 4% plus £750. Resident doctors have received the highest pay uplift in the public sector over the past two years, with pay uplifts amounting to 28.9% over three years. While the Government has been clear that it cannot go further on pay this year, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has met with the British Medical Association (BMA) to discuss their priorities and is committed to improving the working lives of all NHS staff.The Government has taken steps to accelerate the pay setting process for this year to ensure that uplifts are made in a timely manner. To achieve this, we remitted the DDRB on 22 July and submitted written evidence to them on 30 October. Written evidence was submitted a month earlier than last year, which means we are still on track for pay uplifts to go into pay packets earlier than in previous years.In acknowledgement of doctors’ concerns about jobs and access to training places, the Government made an offer to BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee to double the previously announced increase in specialty training places in the 10-Year Health Plan to 2,000, bringing 1,000 of these forward to next year, to create an alternative training pathway and take steps to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates and doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty posts. On top of this commitment, NHS England has already made changes to the specialty training application process this year to reduce competition and support UK graduates.

What steps his Department has taken to prepare for the risk of increasing flu cases amid NHS strikes.

The National Health Service in England has been preparing for winter with the development and better testing of winter plans with surge capacity and escalation plans in place across all NHS and urgent care services. In September NHS England ran seven regionally-led exercises to enable integrated care boards and trusts to stress test whether their plans are sufficient and robust to mitigate winter pressures from baseline, moderate, and extreme levels of respiratory illness and/or flu surge.As set out in the 2025/26 Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, the NHS is focussing on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter. This includes expanding community access to urgent care, for example for patients to be treated in virtual wards, and improving vaccination uptake among frontline staff.The priority is to keep patients as safe as possible during any industrial action. The NHS makes every effort through rigorous contingency planning to minimise disruption as a result of industrial action and its impact on patients and the public. Assessments are made by local trusts about the level of resourcing, and they can escalate via regions and nationally, where appropriate.

What steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to tackle the illegal sale of prescription drugs in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood products for transfusion in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.Prescription-only medicines should only be obtained following a consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional so that an assessment is made of the patient's suitability for the treatment and to consider any potential risks. Usually, such products should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription.Sourcing medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, local authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry to identify, remove, and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.The MHRA seeks to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute sellers responsible for putting public health at risk. Last year, the MHRA and its partners seized more than 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines, including those usually issued on prescription. Further information on our recent enforcement activity is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-smashes-majorillicitweight-loss-medicine-production-facility-in-record-seizureAdditionally, the MHRA has also disrupted thousands of links to websites and social media pages selling medical products to the public illegally.The MHRA’s FakeMeds campaign provides advice to people in the United Kingdom who are considering buying medication online, outlining how products can be accessed from a safe and legitimate source. Further information on the FakeMeds campaign is available at the following link:https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/Anyone who believes they’ve had a side effect from a medicine, or think they’ve received falsified stock, can report it to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme. Further information on the Yellow Card scheme is available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

If he will make it his Department’s policy to introduce a ban on mercury dental fillings in England.

Dental amalgam is a well-established, safe, and effective dental filling material. Current Department policy is to restrict and phase down the use of dental amalgam to reduce any environmental impacts. This includes regulations to ban the use of amalgam in baby teeth, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under 15 years old, except when deemed strictly necessary for specific medical needs. This has been in place since 2018.The United Kingdom is party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The Minamata Convention has recommended that those party to the convention phase down the use of dental amalgam, which the UK does, for example, by restricting its use in under 15-year-olds.The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention is taking place from 3 November to 7 November 2025, where a ban on mercury dental amalgam will be discussed.

What recent steps he has taken with local authorities to help improve food hygiene ratings of catering businesses.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a consumer information scheme operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of businesses to comply with food hygiene law at all times. However, the FSA provides Safer Food Better Business guidance to help small businesses manage food hygiene, and there is an information pack specifically for caterers at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterersThe FSA also publishes guidance on inspections, the FHRS, and how to achieve the top rating. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/preparing-for-your-first-food-hygiene-inspectionBusinesses with low ratings will continue to receive follow up action or visits by local authorities to ensure that non-compliances are addressed. If the local authority officer finds that a business’s hygiene standards are very poor and food may be unsafe to eat, they must act to protect consumers. This could result in stopping part of the business or closing it down completely until it is safe to reopen it.

What steps he has taken to reduce prescription drug-related deaths in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Government has taken decisive action to reduce prescription drug-related deaths in England by tackling overprescribing and improving patient safety. In September 2021, the Department published the National Overprescribing Review, which set out measures to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment. These measures include better use of technology, more effective prescription reviews, and alternatives to medicines where clinically appropriate.In March 2023, NHS England issued a framework entitled Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms. This framework sets out five actions for integrated care boards, focusing on the early identification of risk, personalised care planning, and shared decision-making to support safe tapering of medication and alternative treatments. These steps aim to improve patient outcomes by reducing harm from dependency-forming medicines such as opioids and benzodiazepines.Integrated care boards are the National Health Service organisations responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance.

What recent steps he has taken to help improve dyslexia screening of adults.

Adults who wish to be assessed for dyslexia are advised to contact a local or national dyslexia association for advice. Further information on dyslexia assessments can be found on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia/diagnosis/

How many domestic abortions using (a) mifepristone and (b) misoprostol have occurred in England in each year since 2020.

The Department cannot separate out which of mifepristone or misoprostol were administered at home, only whether one or both abortion medications were administered at home.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of UK medical graduates over international applicants.

British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council, the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as UK medical graduates.As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.

What steps he is taking to help reduce infant mortality rates at Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust has taken a number of steps to improve their maternity services and help reduce infant mortality rates. This includes:- implementing pre-term screening for pre-eclampsia;- recruiting 164 more midwives since 2021, with seven more due to join soon, reducing the vacancy rate to 3.64% compared to 16% in January 2023;- investing in additional clinical posts, including the recruitment of 12 additional obstetrics and gynaecology consultants since 2022, with two more joining soon, and increasing resident doctor numbers;- introducing bilingual volunteers to support women throughout pregnancy, including attending appointments with them, and during labour;- offering enhanced ‘continuity of carer’ in areas where health inequalities have been identified;- increasing triage space and staffing to speed up initial assessment and creating a new discharge lounge to improve flow through the unit;- increasing obstetric theatre capacity and staffing; and- launching a new diabetes pre-conception clinic this year for women who are trying to conceive, and a new hybrid closed-loop insulin pump service for type 1 diabetics who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

What steps he is taking to help tackle health tourism.

In relation to United Kingdom nationals travelling abroad for treatment, the Department has recently updated guidance that advises anyone considering a procedure abroad to carefully research the treatment in question, the qualifications of their clinician, and the regulations that apply in any specific country.We also recently launched a communications campaign, in collaboration with TikTok, to encourage people to review the Government’s travel advice alongside relevant guidance from the National Health Service and other relevant professional bodies. By taking such steps before treatment, patients make are able to make more informed decisions about treatments abroad, to help protect themselves and the NHS from any potential negative consequences of medical tourism.

What steps he is taking to help improve the provision of mental health services in the London Borough of Havering.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving access to Mental Health Support Teams, expanding talking therapies and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the National Health Service App. Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services.We are also delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.Responsibility for commissioning of mental health services sits with integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the role of local ICBs to consider what mental health services are needed for their populations and include the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups and local authorities.