Written questions by Morello.

What steps he is taking to reduce risks to patients from the electronic exchange of medical records between NHS England and NHS Wales.

Ensuring information can be shared between services is essential for safe and effective care. Improving this will enable better informed clinical and care decision-making that is empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information, enhancing the quality and safety of care for patients. NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information on electronic patient records for trusts and foundation trusts is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/ To ensure continuity of care and to reduce delays in treatment, NHS England is working with NHS Wales on improving the interoperability of services, sharing care records, technical collaboration on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources based messaging standards, and longer-term ambitions for a single patient record.The Government's 10-Year Health Plan includes the objective of delivering a single patient record. We will be engaging with the devolved administrations on the single patient record, to support appropriate cross-border referrals, and appropriate information sharing to inform good decision-making, support healthcare, and minimise risk to patients.

If he will extend the eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults;- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

If he will extend the eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in West Dorset constituency.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults;- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

What assessment has he made of the potential benefits of increasing eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in West Dorset constituency.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults;- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

What assessment has he made of the potential benefits of increasing eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults;- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

What assessment he has made of the impact of closer NHS–social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset.

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for Neighbourhood Health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role for Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home. Dorset has also received additional support from expert advisors working on behalf of NHS England and the Department.Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the impact of closer NHS-social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

What steps he Department is taking to improve integration between NHS services and social care provision in West Dorset.

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for Neighbourhood Health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role for Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home. Dorset has also received additional support from expert advisors working on behalf of NHS England and the Department.Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the impact of closer NHS-social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

What steps his Department is taking to improve integration between social care and NHS services nationally.

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for Neighbourhood Health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role for Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home. Dorset has also received additional support from expert advisors working on behalf of NHS England and the Department.Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the impact of closer NHS-social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

What steps he is taking to expand early intervention and targeted mental health support for men at risk of suicide in rural constituencies.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including in rural constituencies such as West Dorset. 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. We are expanding NHS Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people, including men, complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services. We will also expand individual placement and support for severe mental illness so that 73,500 people receive access by March 2028. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so that people feel able to seek help through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable. On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease. Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience. We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential for dental students in training to carry out supervised NHS dental appointments to help reduce the backlog in routine and urgent care.

Every undergraduate dental student gains clinical experience in the course of their studies under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.Clinical placements provide dental students with the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including clinical abilities and effective communication with both patients and colleagues. The patients receiving treatment should never be charged for the care they receive.These placements are designed to provide students with exposure to a range of clinical environments, rather than to enhance overall National Health Service delivery.

What steps his Department is taking to explore the use of final-year dental students to support NHS dentistry capacity while maintaining patient safety and training standards.

Every undergraduate dental student gains clinical experience in the course of their studies under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.Clinical placements provide dental students with the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including clinical abilities and effective communication with both patients and colleagues. The patients receiving treatment should never be charged for the care they receive.These placements are designed to provide students with exposure to a range of clinical environments, rather than to enhance overall National Health Service delivery.

What steps he is taking to expand early intervention and targeted mental health support for men at risk of suicide in West Dorset.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including in rural constituencies such as West Dorset. 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. We are expanding NHS Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people, including men, complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services. We will also expand individual placement and support for severe mental illness so that 73,500 people receive access by March 2028. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so that people feel able to seek help through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable. On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease. Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience. We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential for dental students in training to carry out supervised NHS dental appointments to help reduce the backlog in routine and urgent care in West Dorset.

Every undergraduate dental student gains clinical experience in the course of their studies under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.Clinical placements provide dental students with the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including clinical abilities and effective communication with both patients and colleagues. The patients receiving treatment should never be charged for the care they receive.These placements are designed to provide students with exposure to a range of clinical environments, rather than to enhance overall National Health Service delivery.

What plans he has to work with Integrated Care Boards to improve delivery capacity for future vaccination programmes in West Dorset.

NHS England South West has established mechanisms to work with all integrated care boards (ICBs) in the South West. This includes regular meetings to establish the shared understanding and approaches to vaccination delivery through its Integrated Vaccine Strategy meetings.NHS England South West works collaboratively with the NHS Dorset ICB to develop, implement, and monitor vaccination programmes. It also provides investment for dedicated staff to enhance capacity across areas such as the perinatal vaccination pathway.As part of the Integrated Vaccination Strategy, NHS Dorset ICB also facilitates provider networks within five geographical areas to look at current delivery models for all vaccination programmes, reflect on local population needs, and share learning from local initiatives.In addition, NHS Dorset ICB regularly meets with providers to oversee progress on seasonal vaccination programmes. These meetings are used to discuss progress on delivery, understand any barriers and agree any mitigations to improve uptake.

If he will consider requiring supervised trainee dentists, while on placement at dental training schools, to work on exclusively on NHS waiting lists rather than private appointments, to help reduce the backlog.

Every undergraduate dental student gains clinical experience in the course of their studies under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.Clinical placements provide dental students with the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including clinical abilities and effective communication with both patients and colleagues. The patients receiving treatment should never be charged for the care they receive.These placements are designed to provide students with exposure to a range of clinical environments, rather than to enhance overall National Health Service delivery.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of healthcare capacity in West Dorset, particularly regarding primary care, ambulance response times and urgent care provision in winter 2025-2026.

We have done more than ever to prepare for this winter, stress testing winter plans across the country, including in West Dorset, making sure community teams have the vaccines they need, and identifying the patients most vulnerable in winter.West Dorset sits within the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB), where general practices have delivered 14.3% more appointments in September 2025, or 495,000 appointments, in comparison to September 2024, at 433,000. This is above the national average of a 6.6% increase. There is good coverage of pharmacy first services which are offered by 90% pharmacies in Dorset, and there has been a steady increase in uptake since September 2024. We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025, and these are available across the country with specific expectations for the region. There are also four pilot sites for urgent dental access running this winter which will support better local access to these services. Urgent and emergency care has fallen short of the standards patients rightly expect in recent years. To address this, we launched our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, setting ambitious goals of at least 78% of patients in accident and emergency being seem within four hours and reducing the average Category 2 ambulance response time to 30 minutes. Backed by £450 million of capital investment, we are upgrading hundreds of ambulances and expanding the capacity of urgent and emergency care services, enhancing both the speed and quality of care for patients in greatest need.West Dorset is served by South Western Ambulance Service. The latest National Health Service data shows that in October, the South West achieved an average Category 2 response time of 32 minutes 37 seconds, an improvement of nearly 10 minutes compared with the same month last year.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the speed and efficiency of vaccine rollout when new vaccines receive NHS approval.

The Government is committed to supporting the timely delivery of new vaccination programmes to fully protect the public from vaccine preventable diseases. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation meets regularly to consider both current and future vaccine products and to advise ministers accordingly.The Department works with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to secure supply deals with manufacturers, stockpile doses, and coordinate logistics to ensure fast deployment, working at pace to update guidelines and training documents so that the workforce providing vaccines is ready to go.To boost capacity, the Department is exploring new ways of delivering vaccinations including health visits and community pharmacy, with pilots for administering vaccinations as part of health visits standing-up from January 2026. Digital tools also ensure speedy and efficient rollout, for instance: online booking via the NHS app; automated reminders; and data dashboards to track uptake and tweak priorities in real-time. Finally, the Department works with NHS England and the UKHSA to develop targeted communications campaigns, advertising, and social media to build trust and drive appointments, aiming for high coverage from day one. Programme planning by the UKHSA and NHS England occurs simultaneously to ensure delivery of safe, clinically effective, stable, and accessible programmes that commence at the right time and are rolled out in a timely manner after a policy decision has been made.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Dorset County Hospital and (b) associated community services have adequate (i) staffing and (ii) resources for winter 2025-2026.

Both Dorset County Hospital and Dorset Healthcare, as the primary providers of community services in Dorset, have assessed their resource and capacity requirements for the winter period as part of the annual planning process. These take account of the expected impact of surges in seasonally affected conditions and the associated infection prevention and control challenges this presents.The winter plans are underpinned by robust organisational business continuity plans to maintain services in the event of loss of workforce or service capacity and are aligned to wider system resilience planning across health and social care partners to help manage and mitigate the risks of anticipated increases in demand and acuity expected over this period. System-level plans include provision for surge and escalation responses at times of peak operational pressure.The Dorset County Hospital has a comprehensive Operational Resilience and Capacity Plan for winter 2025/26, which aligns to NHS England’s Urgent and Emergency Care priorities and forms part of Dorset’s overall system plan.The Government continues to strengthen the resilience of elective care, including through expanding valuable protected elective capacity, including in surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres.Nationally we have invested nearly £26 billion in additional funding for supporting both immediate winter capacity and the infrastructure transformation, new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and enhanced digital systems, that will establish the Neighbourhood Health Service and make future winters fundamentally different, building towards our milestone of 92% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment.

What (a) additional funding and (b) operational support his Department will provide to Integrated Care Systems in (i) rural areas and (ii) West Dorset in winter 2025-2026.

NHS England is responsible for determining funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs), including those covering rural areas and West Dorset. This process is independent of the Government and is informed by advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA).Funding allocations for 2025/26, published on 30 January 2025, include an ACRA-recommended adjustment specifically focused on rurality that reflects the additional cost of providing home-delivered community services in sparsely populated areas, and recognises the longer travel times required to deliver said services. Allocations cover the whole financial year, so there is not winter specific additional funding provided. Further information on funding allocations for 2025/26 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2025-26/All ICBs and trusts have developed their own winter plans, which were stress tested at regional events throughout September to expose any weaknesses and to be strengthen where necessary. We continue to work closely with the most challenged trusts, providing targeted improvement support to help them improve their four-hour and 12-hour performance, and reduce ambulance handover delays.

What recent assessment he has made of logistical challenges affecting rapid vaccine deployment in rural areas.

The Department, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) work together to ensure a new vaccine is rolled out in a timely manner after a policy decision has been made, ensuring that all the components are in place to provide an accessible and safe programme. Supplies of centrally procured vaccines for the routine immunisation programme are available to order from UKHSA by all registered general practices, hospitals, maternity services, and other sites commissioned to deliver the programme. Sites have deliveries at least once a week, regardless of where in England they are located, and the coverage is across the country, including rural areas.To improve public access to vaccinations, including in rural areas, we are expanding the use of community pharmacies giving vaccinations, including through delivering flu vaccines for two and three-year-olds this autumn. An evaluation will assess whether the use of community pharmacies improves coverage and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the National Health Service vaccination strategy.To ensure pharmacy access in rural areas, local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review.We are also exploring ways of delivering our commitment to administer vaccinations as part of health visits. Local pathfinders for health visitor delivery will begin from January 2026, across a mix of urban and rural geographies.