Written questions by Johnson.

What his planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to abolish NHS England.

The formation of the future Department is being done in the first instance by bringing teams closer together to jointly plan future delivery. This will be followed by primary legislation to abolish NHS England, subject to Parliamentary approval and once Parliamentary time allows. Until such a time when appropriate changes are made, the Department and NHS England will continue to carry out their respective statutory functions. Legislation would be subject to the approval of Parliament, so we are working with the Leader of the House and business managers to ensure an appropriate timetable that enables us to do the things that we need to do in a timely way, and working towards the two-year delivery timetable already announced.

What proportion of defibrillators have a collocated bleed/trauma pack.

The Department does not hold data on the proportion of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) that have a collocated bleed/trauma pack. AED databases, such as the Circuit, are operated independently of Government. It is a matter for the individual AED guardian and their local community to decide if they wish to keep a bleed/trauma pack in the cabinet with their AED.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the structure of his Department.

Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, including a plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions and responsibilities. Given the scale and significance of the reforms, the Government is committed to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. This includes the impacts relating to the future structure of the Department. These ongoing assessments will inform the ongoing work of the programme.A full impact assessment will be published alongside the primary legislation.

What assessment he has made of the impact of the abolition of NHS England on staff morale.

The organisational changes that have been announced are no reflection of the tireless work carried out by talented professionals across the Department and NHS England. They are about getting the system working for patients and the public.It is understood that organisational changes can have an impact on our colleagues, and the Department and NHS England are committed to treating people with the care, respect and fairness they are owed throughout this process. Both organisations are communicating information about the changes to staff and trade unions at the earliest opportunity and are committed to a culture of transparency.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of co-locating (a) inhalers, (b) adrenaline auto injectors and (c) other emergency medical treatment alongside defibrillators in the community settings.

There are no plans to make prescription inhalers available to store alongside automatic external defibrillators (AEDs). This is because AED guardians would need to maintain a stock of inhalers, as the devices need to be replaced when they are used. AED guardians would need to check regularly to see if a device had been used and returned, which is not feasible with non-dosage counter inhalers, or used and taken away by whoever needed it. Additionally, where AED cabinets are kept unlocked by their communities, there is a risk that small devices like inhalers could simply be stolen.Individuals with asthma who have been prescribed inhalers, should have those devices with them or with their parent/guardian.The National Health Service is also seeking to reduce prescribing of reliever inhalers and making these devices available through AED cabinets runs contrary to that goal.Similarly, there are no plans to make adrenaline auto injectors or other prescription only treatments available for storage in AED cabinets.

When he plans to publish the estimate of the potential savings to the public purse following the abolition of NHS England.

Creating a new joint organisation will streamline decision-making, reduce bureaucracy, and improve accountability. These changes are expected to generate significant efficiencies over time.The Department’s initial modelling demonstrates that the up-front investment in organisational change will be offset by long-term reductions in staffing and running costs, ensuring the programme delivers value for money and sustainable savings for the taxpayer.Further detailed planning work is underway, considering all the funding priorities for the Department and NHS England. Further detail will be provided once this work has concluded.

How many and what proportion of nurses qualifying this summer have secured nursing jobs in the UK.

The Department does not hold the data requested. Nurses, upon graduation, may take up registered nursing roles in a range of organisations such as local authorities, social care providers, charities, or private sector providers, as well as in the National Health Service.On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for NHS trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed abolition of NHS England on the (a) recruitment and (b) training of NHS staff.

Over the next two years, NHS England, including its functions for workforce, training, and education, will be brought into the Department. This will reduce duplication and bureaucracy, with savings from unnecessary administration costs allowing us to put more resources back into the front line and empower National Health Service staff to deliver better care for patients.It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the abolition of NHS England does not affect the delivery of frontline services for patients.

Our commitment to the delivery of frontline services for patients underpin our reforms. These reforms will simplify the National Health Service, remove layers of unnecessary bureaucracy, and allow us to reinvest more in the frontline, so patients receive safe, timely care and are heard and listened to. It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, and we will do this throughout. Ongoing assessment is part of the reform programme and evidence collected will inform the programme as appropriate and ensure our decisions focus on improving patient care. The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on (a) NHS Digital Services and (b) the (i) storage and (ii) retention of patient data.

The merger of NHS England into the Department will not prevent us continuing to deliver the digital services on which the National Health Service relies, maintaining the highest standards of cyber security and ensuring patient data continues to be appropriately and safely stored. Legislation will make provision as necessary, with Parliament’s approval, to transfer the statutory responsibilities of NHS England to the Department.

When he plans to confirm the cost of the redundancy package for staff being made redundant from (a) NHS England and (b) his Department.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board running costs and National Health Service provider corporate cost reductions to reduce waste and bureaucracy.Good progress is being made, with the Department and NHS England having announced voluntary exit and expressions of interest schemes respectively.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the NHS Business Services Authority.

Following the announcement that NHS England will be abolished as an arm’s length body, a transformation programme has been launched within the Department.It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.Discussions between officials within NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), the Department, and NHS England are ongoing concerning NHSBSA’s role and services for the health and social care system in light of the abolition of NHS England.The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on patient safety.

The changes that the Government is making, alongside the wider commitments set out in the 10 Year Health Plan, will positively impact on patient care and safety by driving quality of care, productivity and innovation in the National Health Service.NHS England will continue to undertake its statutory functions while working with the new executive during the transition, until parliamentary time allows for changes to be made in primary legislation.Patient safety will remain paramount over this transformation period. We will put plans in place to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.

What the headcount of staff members was at (a) his Department and (b) NHS England in each month between February and September 2025.

The table below shows the number of employees in the Department and workers in NHS England at the end of each month between February and August 2025. September figures are not yet available as the month has not yet ended.NHS England Executives made a deliberate decision not to restrict recruitment to clinical training posts until a review of post-graduate clinical education and training has been completed. While recruitment to clinical training posts has caused an overall increase in NHS England’s headcount, its wider workforce has reduced in size, as shown in the table below, due to the recruitment controls enacted.MonthDepartment HeadcountNHS England HeadcountGP Educators (Included in NHS England Headcount)Wider Workforce (Included in NHS England Headcount)February 20253,68218,9651,13717,828March 20253,69719,0211,14417,877April 20253,70019,0151,19317,822May 20253,70319,3071,50117,806June 20253,70019,2821,54017,742July 20253,70019,0321,55717,475August 20253,66419,1931,78417,409Source : Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England Note: The GP Educators workforce provides clinical supervision and training to general practitioners.

What assessment has made of the potential merits of electronic prescribing in secondary care settings.

The rollout of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) in secondary care settings is underway with a goal to have at least half of National Health Service hospital trusts using it by 2026. NHS England is supporting the adoption of EPS by secondary care providers and supporting secondary care IT system suppliers to develop integration with EPS.Benefit analysis to date indicates that EPS in secondary care improves prescription workflows, reduces administrative burden and the need for paper prescription pads, thereby enhancing security, reducing errors, and lowering costs. It supports remote consultations and enables better tracking and reporting of prescribing data.

When he plans to provide an answer to the freedom of information request with reference FOI2025/17106.

I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this freedom of information request. A response will be issued shortly.

Whether the National Cancer Plan will include targets to improve diagnosis times for myeloma.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure prioritisation of earlier diagnosis of myeloma in the National Cancer Plan.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

What forecast he has made of the cost to the public purse of the planned strike of resident doctors on 25 July 2025.

Resident doctors have announced strike action between 25 and 30 July 2025. The direct impact on the public purse will depend on the level of participation and service disruption within the National Health Service.

What estimate he has made of the number of (a) operations and (b) outpatients appointments that will be cancelled if resident doctors strike on 25 July 2025.

No formal assessment has been made of the possible industrial action by resident doctors on 25 July 2025.