Written questions by Morgan.

What steps he is taking to increase funding and research into polycystic ovary syndrome and associated treatments and care pathways.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research delivery arm of the Department, funds a range of research to improve health outcomes for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including studies aimed at enhancing treatment and care pathways. For example, the NIHR is currently funding a £2.3 million trial to evaluate the effectiveness of different medication combinations for ovulation induction, directly informing clinical practice for fertility treatment in PCOS. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including PCOS-associated treatment and care pathways.

What steps he is taking to ensure NHS services in North Shropshire are adequately equipped to provide care for people with polycystic ovary syndrome.

The Government recognises that women suffering with gynaecological conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships and participation in education and the workforce. We know that more needs to be done to support women with gynaecological conditions.Patients who are concerned they have symptoms which may be caused by PCOS should seek help from their general practitioner (GP) who can arrange the necessary investigations, make a diagnosis, and discuss initial treatments. Patients with more complex symptoms of PCOS can be referred to gynaecology or endocrinology services provided by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust, and those who need support related to fertility can be referred to Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Clinic in Shrewsbury which offers fertility evaluations and treatments.NICE is currently developing a guideline on the assessment and management of PCOS and published the scope of the guideline in July 2025, which includes “information resources, models of care, cultural and linguistic considerations” and “management of psychological features”.

What steps he is taking to increase awareness of the impact of polycystic ovary syndrome among NHS professionals.

This Government recognises that women suffering with gynaecological conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome, have been failed for far too long. We acknowledge the impact these conditions have on women’s lives, relationships and participation in education and the workforce. We know that more needs to be done to support women with gynaecological conditions.As set out in the women’s health strategy, women's health is included in the Royal College of General Practitioners curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology. The curriculum also covers the health care needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.

What steps he is taking to improve access to respite care for unpaid carers in North Shropshire constituency.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support they need. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 61929 on Integrated Care Boards: Redundancy, whether he is providing new funding to integrated care boards to cover the cost of redundancies.

The Department continues to work with NHS England to manage all financial risk, including the best way to manage cost pressures arising from any redundancy schemes once realised.

When he expects the next Learning from Lives and Deaths report to be published.

The Learning from Lives and Deaths reports are a crucial source of evidence which help to identify the key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent the avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. We are committed to publishing the latest report soon after Parliament returns, alongside a Written Ministerial Statement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 61959 on Dentistry: Recruitment, how many (a) recruited dentists and (b) dental posts are being advertised per region in England.

Data on Golden Hellos will be published by the end of August 2025. Once a publication date has been confirmed, this will be announced on the NHS England website.

What discussions he has had with providers of community equipment on the financial resilience of those providers.

The Department is aware of concerns raised by community equipment suppliers. NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare.Local authorities and local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will consider the resources available to them. At the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over both the last financial year and this year. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 have now been set through phase 2 of the Spending Review. This includes £29 billion more day-to-day funding in real terms than 2023/24 for the NHS, and the largest ever health capital budget, with a £2.3 billion real terms increase in capital spending over the Spending Review period.

Whether he has made an assessment of the financial viability of providers of community equipment.

The Department is aware of concerns raised by community equipment suppliers. NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare.Local authorities and local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will consider the resources available to them. At the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over both the last financial year and this year. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 have now been set through phase 2 of the Spending Review. This includes £29 billion more day-to-day funding in real terms than 2023/24 for the NHS, and the largest ever health capital budget, with a £2.3 billion real terms increase in capital spending over the Spending Review period.

Whether his Department holds information on the (a) most common illnesses among babies and children in temporary accommodation and (b) incidence of each of those illnesses in the most recent period for which data is available.

The Department does not hold this information for primary care data due to a lack of granularity in the data.

What information his Department holds on the number of children living in temporary accommodation who presented to A&E with an injury or illness in the 2024-25 financial year.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

What guidance his Department has issued on whether (a) a family and (b) babies and children living in temporary accommodation can remain registered at their GP surgery if they live (i) in the area and (ii) outside the area but within reasonable travelling distance.

Patients have the legal right to choose a general practice (GP) that best suits their needs. If a patient moves outside of their practice’s catchment area, the patient’s permanent practice must not de-register them, unless the patient is away from that practice’s area for more than three months. In those cases, the patient must be informed of this where practicable, and some practices may accept that you remain registered as an out of area patient. Housing status should not affect anyone’s ability to register with a GP. Patients who are homeless or in temporary housing do not need a fixed address to be registered.

How much funding his Department plans to provide for the roll-out of (a) fampridine and (b) other new drugs in each year of this Parliament.

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.The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance. Information about the amount of funding the NHS plans to provide for the roll-out of new drugs is not available. Commissioners within NHS England receive funding each year to commission services for their population, which includes funding for new and established medicines. Fampridine, however, has not been recommended by NICE, so is not available for routine NHS use within England.

What estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse for the digital transformation outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan.

In advance of the 10-Year Health Plan’s publication, the Government confirmed an allocation of up to £10 billion for National Health Service digital, data, and technology through the Spending Review. This is a nearly 50% uplift on current investment, with a 3% real terms uplift overall.That investment will support delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan, while yielding substantial improvements in the public experience of using the NHS, and in the experience of staff working for it. It will also make a material contribution to achieving the 2% productivity target and wider efficiency targets.

Whether the NHS 10 Year Plan includes a budget for the (a) use and (b) procurement of GLP-1 receptor agonists.

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. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, usually within three months of final guidance.NICE has recommended the GLP-1 receptor agonists liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide as clinically and cost-effective treatment options on the NHS for obesity. Liraglutide, brand name Saxenda, and semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, can currently only be accessed on the NHS via specialist weight management services, which are primarily based in hospital settings. In June 2025, the NHS began making tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, available through primary care. Approximately 220,000 adults will be considered for Mounjaro in the first three years, with access prioritised by clinical need.The 10‑Year Health Plan is backed by an extra £29 billion in investment to fund the reforms, service improvements, and new technology required to deliver an NHS fit for the future. Through its implementation we are committed to further exploring how we can build on the current plans for the roll out of medicine like GLP-1 receptor agonists by working with industry to trial innovative approaches to treating obesity, as part of a rounded package of care. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.

Whether his Department plans to publish an implementation plan for the NHS 10-Year Plan.

Implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan is already underway: new reforms to the dental contract will prioritise those with urgent and complex needs; we are taking first steps to rollout new neighbourhood health services, which will target the most-deprived areas first; a new pilot programme will support people with health conditions back into employment and ease pressure on doctors; a new animated series will get more children across the country moving more and encouraging a healthier lifestyle; and patients will benefit from better access to pharmacy services under new proposals.Delivery expectations are embedded throughout the plan, which will shift care from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. Over the remainder of 2025/26, we will put in place key next steps to deliver the plan, build the foundations for the shifts from hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention, and roll out current best practice across the whole country.

With reference to the NHS 10 Year Plan, published on 3 July 2025, whether (a) parents will be able to access the NHS App on behalf of their (i) children and (ii) young people and( b) data collected through the NHS App will be shared with third parties.

General practice (GP) surgeries can give someone secure access to another patient's GP services via the NHS App, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy linked account.Patients’ health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. However, patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time.

With reference to the NHS 10 Year Plan, published 3 July 2025, where the new neighbourhood health centres will be located.

Over the course of our 10-Year Health Plan, we aim to establish a Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community.Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need, like in coastal towns and working-class communities, including by using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest, and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.Successful centres are already operating across the country in places such as Birmingham and Whitstable, showing how the service can work and be delivered for local people.

What estimate his Department has made of the (a) potential cost to the public purse for mental health services delivered through the NHS 10 Year Plan and (b) proportion of the total costs for the NHS 10 Year Plan that will be spent on mental health.

The plan commits to wide reaching mental health transformation over the next 10 years, for which the National Health Service has a settlement for the next three years. The Spending Review prioritised health, with NHS day-to-day spending increasing by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. We are preparing for the first multi-year planning round for the NHS in more than half a decade, which will confirm budget allocations and give local leaders the certainty they need to deliver.

If he will publish a list of the bodies that will be abolished as part of the NHS 10 Year Plan.

The following organisations will be closed or their functions transferred as part of the 10-Year Health Plan:NHS England;Health Services Safety Investigations Body;National Guardian;Healthwatch England;local Healthwatch organisations; andCommissioning Support Units.