Written questions by Cane.

What steps his Department is taking to support community pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. To support these private contractors, NHS England is providing fully funded national training opportunities to help them deliver quality NHS services.We have now recommenced our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on NHS GP practices.

We have made necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025.We recently announced a proposed funding uplift for general practices (GPs) for 2025/26 of £889 million, representing a 7.2% cash growth, estimated at approximately 4.8% in real terms growth. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since the beginning of the five-year framework, and means that we are reversing the recent trend, with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to GPs. We are currently consulting the profession on corresponding reforms to the GP Contract that would improve access, increase continuity of care, enhance GP recruitment, and reduce bureaucracy.

What steps his Department is taking to support community pharmacies.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better using the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as part of the shift from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention. Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to emergency dentistry.

The Dental Statistics - England 2023-24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324In England, in 2023/24, 3,674,731 urgent dental treatments in the National Health Service were delivered, which was 10.8% of all treatments delivered.This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency, this is the NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB.

What steps his Department plans to take to improve access to mental health services.

Too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are too long. As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures Hubs in every community.

What recent steps he has taken to reduce waiting times for cancer treatment.

We know that patients are waiting too long for cancer treatment, and we will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time or earlier, treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.As we set out in our new plan for reforming elective care, we are committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times. Further details will be set out in a dedicated national cancer plan and the NHS’s annual operational planning guidance.

What recent steps he has taken to increase access to GP appointments.

We recognise that patients are finding it difficult to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing the front door to the National Health Service to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve. That is why, in October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in general practice, which will benefit thousands of patients that are struggling to care the care they desperately need. This will also secure the future supply of GPs and take pressure off those currently working in the system.Additionally, we have announced a proposed £889 million uplift to the GP contract in 2025/26, with a rising share of total NHS resources going to general practice. We are also currently consulting on key proposals to improve access, continuity of care and GP recruitment. This uplift reflects this government’s commitment to bring back the family doctor, slash red tape and put general practice at the heart of the neighbourhood health service.