Written questions by Thomas.

What plans he has to improve respiratory disease (a) prevention, (b) diagnosis and (c) care.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.More tests and scans delivered in the community will allow earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation, can further help prevent lung conditions.

How many NHS Accident & Emergency admissions were made for cosmetic and aesthetic treatments requiring urgent medical attention in 2024.

Information on hospital admissions is not available in the format requested. However, an analysis of hospital episodes by diagnoses for 2023/24 is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the health visitor to resident ratio in Worcestershire; and what steps his Department is taking to increase this provision.

Local authorities have responsibility for commissioning public health services for children and young people aged zero to 19 years old. This includes the commissioning of health visiting services.We recognise the role health visitors play in our commitment to create the healthiest generation of children ever, as families must have the support they need to give their babies and children the best start and the building blocks for a healthy life.We have therefore committed to strengthen health visiting services nationally. We will ensure we have the staff we need, so that children and their families are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This will take time, but we are committed to building a health service fit for the future, with the workforce it needs.

Whether he plans to reform mental health services so that social support is integrated into treatment plans.

The statutory guidance on discharge from mental health inpatient settings makes clear that National Health Service mental health trusts should have a clear plan in place for the ongoing care and support that a patient requires after discharge from a mental health inpatient setting. This should cover their pharmacological, physical health, psychological, social, cultural, education, housing and finances, and any other individual needs or wishes.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and shift care from hospitals into the community by improving community and crisis services, NHS England is piloting new models of care in the community for those with the most serious mental illnesses. New mental health centres open in six neighbourhood areas from this spring and will provide people and their families with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as provide housing, social support or employment advice to support them to stay well. A key feature of the model is continuity of care whereby the same team will support people with serious mental illnesses throughout all stages of their interaction with services, including transitions between hospital and the community.

How many asylum seekers have received medical treatment in Bromsgrove constituency in the last two years.

Due to the way in which the data is held, across multiple agencies, it is not possible to provide a total number of people seeking asylum who have received medical treatment by constituency during the last two years.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of children’s A&E provision in North Worcestershire.

No such assessment has been made by the Department. The commissioning of children’s accident and emergency services in North Worcestershire is the responsibility of local National Health Service commissioners, in partnership with providers and in the best interest of their populations.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on palliative care.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill) Bill continues to be a matter for Parliament and, as the bill progresses, members of Parliament, both Honourable and Right Honourable, will further debate and scrutinise the legislation, and the Government will respect Parliament’s will. An impact assessment is being developed, which will consider relevant impacts of the bill as it stands at the end of Committee Stage, based on the available evidence.Palliative and end of life care is a crucial part of the health and social care system. Irrespective of any legislation on assisted dying, everyone must be provided with high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of their life. This Government will shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care in this shift.Earlier this month, I met the major palliative and end of life care stakeholders, and long-term sector sustainability, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan, was discussed at length. I also met NHS England, and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care throughout England.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI on (a) hospital waiting times and (b) the number of missed appointments.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have huge potential in improving productivity across the National Health Service by supporting clinicians with faster and more accurate diagnosis, enhancing clinical decision-making about treatment plans, and reducing the administrative burden faced by healthcare staff. The Department and NHS England are developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools and how they can be rolled out to make the day-to-day operations of the NHS more productive.Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. Currently, the waiting list stands at 7.48 million, with only 59% waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment. The plan includes exploring opportunities for digital innovation and looking at where these can be adopted more widely to improve patient experience and care. For example, some trusts are using AI as part of their process for waiting list validation in addition to clinical validation, which helps to ensure waiting lists are accurate and up to date as well as enabling more efficient use of clinical time.Other areas of digital innovation across the NHS include the use of AI prediction that helps prevent missed appointments and maximise clinic utilisation by supporting teams to fill appointments that patients can no longer use. The Elective Reform Plan commits to enhance two-way communication between hospitals and patients and use the results of AI work to predict who will miss appointments to target communications and prevent up to one million missed appointments.

What changes have there been in the number of GPs working between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025 in Bromsgrove constituency.

General practice workforce data is available for the last working day of every month and is published approximately four weeks after collection. Therefore, we present data for 31 July 2024 and 31 December 2024.Between 31 July 2024 and 31 December 2024, the number of fully qualified general practitioners (GPs) in general practice in Bromsgrove constituency increased by 0.1 full-time equivalent (FTE). Including GPs in training grade, the number of doctors in general practice increased by 2.3 FTE over the same period.

How many staff are employed in (a) clinical, (b) executive and (c) managerial positions across the NHS; and whether he has made an estimate of the number of surplus (i) managerial and (ii) executive roles.

NHS England publishes monthly Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and integrated care systems but excludes staff working for other providers such as in general practice or social care. There is also quarterly data published on staff working in central bodies such as NHS England. This data is drawn from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), the Human Resources system for the National Health Service. Data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsThese statistics show that as of November 2024, there are 736,140 full-time equivalent (FTE) professionally qualified clinical staff employed by NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England. These work alongside a further 412,036 FTE patient facing support staff. There are also 26,751 FTE managers and 13,472 FTE senior managers.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reducing academic barriers to entry to the nursing profession.

No such assessment has been made.Universities are responsible for setting their entry requirements in line with standards of proficiency, conduct and performance of nurses, as set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It would not be appropriate for the Government to intervene in this process, to respect the independence and expertise of universities and regulators designing standards and curricular that ensure public safety.For those whom a traditional full-time university course is not practical or preferred, there is an alternative route into the nursing profession via a registered nurse degree apprenticeship.

What plans he has to increase the provision of radiographers in the NHS.

The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan, which will be published this summer, will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, including radiographers, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.To supplement the student loan support provided by the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care provides non-repayable and non-income assessed funding via the NHS Learning Support Fund. All eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students, including those studying radiography, receive a grant of £5,000 per academic year. Radiography students receive an additional specialist subject payment of £1,000 per year, with a further £2,000 per year available for childcare, as well as support for placement travel and accommodation costs. Students in exceptional hardship can also access up to a further £3,000 per year.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of demand for Ozempic on the NHS.

The following table, while not reflecting demand, does provide the total number of Ozempic injections that were dispensed under the National Health Service in England, prescribed each year from January 2019 to November 2024:YearNumber of injections dispensed2019111,3882020420,9982021747,20520221,155,17420231,174,8062024794,729Total4,404,302 The Prescription Cost Analysis data release gives items and quantities of each medicine dispensed in the community in England.

When he plans to publish the terms of reference for the independent commission into adult social care to be led by Baroness Casey; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including in the terms of reference local authority funding for adult social care.

We expect to publish terms of reference when the commission formally starts in April 2025. The commission will set out a vision for adult social care, with recommended measures and a roadmap for delivery. This will include setting out the plan for how to implement a National Care Service that is able to meet the needs of older and disabled people over the coming decades.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the impact of adult social care obligations on local authorities.

Department ministers regularly discuss a range of topics with other Cabinet colleagues. In response to the pressures facing adult social care, the Government will make up to £3.5 billion of additional funding for social care authorities available in 2025/...

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the GP-to-patient ratio in Bromsgrove constituency.

In August 2024, the median number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice (GP) per 10,000 registered patients in the Bromsgrove constituency was 7.2. The median number nationally of FTE fully qualified GPs per 10,000 registered patients ...