Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure patients can collect prescriptions in a timely manner (a) on bank holidays, (b) on weekends and (c) in general.

Local authorities are required to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies. Access to community pharmacies during weekdays, evenings, and the weekend is considered as part of these assessments. If a PNA identifies any gaps in the provision of essential services either within or outside normal working hours, or a need for improvement or better access, contractors can apply to meet this need.Integrated care boards (ICBs), as the commissioners of primary care services, give regard to PNAs when commissioning and planning local service provision. ICBs have various tools at their disposal to ensure patients can access medicines through local pharmacies, including commissioning extended pharmacy opening hours and maintaining a rota, directing and funding local pharmacies to open during bank holidays.Patients can also choose to access medicines and pharmacy services through any of the over 400 National Health Service online pharmacies that are contractually required to deliver prescription medicines free of charge to patients’ homes.

What assessment he has made of the efficiency of the (a) storage, (b) procurement and (c) emergency dispensing of antiviral medications for high-risk patients.

Medicines, including antivirals, are stored in accordance with Good Distribution Practice, which is regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. These will typically be held by medicine wholesalers who sell them on to community pharmacies and hospital pharmacies. Individual pharmacies will have their own procurement strategies. They should plan and manage stocks in line with demand, in order to ensure medicines are available to patients when needed.

What steps he is taking to help support improvement in domiciliary care providers that have been issued with warning notices by the Care Quality Commission.

To ensure adult social care providers, including domiciliary care services, meet fundamental standards of quality and safety, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors, inspects, and regulates these services. All inspection reports on individual providers are made publicly available.The CQC is continuing to make changes to the way it works and has set out four immediate actions and five foundational improvements, which are being implemented to help ensure that it is carrying out its regulatory work with the sufficient depth and frequency to be assured that the requirements of any warning notices are met as close to the required compliance date as possible. These priorities will also enable the CQC to address delays in the reporting on the quality and safety of care in all care services, including domiciliary care services, which will increase transparency for both providers and the public who use these services.The CQC also signposts providers to the support that is available to help them improve, where shortfalls and breaches of regulation have been found. For example, Skills for Care have produced a Guide to Improvement to support providers that need to improve their rating.

What steps he is taking to improve transparency around (i) care quality and (ii) safeguarding in domiciliary care services.

To ensure adult social care providers, including domiciliary care services, meet fundamental standards of quality and safety, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors, inspects, and regulates these services. All inspection reports on individual providers are made publicly available.Dr Penny Dash undertook a review of the CQC’s operational effectiveness in 2024, during which she uncovered significant concerns about the CQC’s internal operation. In response, the CQC is taking immediate action to help ensure that it is carrying out its regulatory work with sufficient depth and frequency. This will enable the CQC to address delays in the reporting on the quality and safety of care in all care services, including domiciliary care services, increasing transparency for both providers and the public who use these services. I met with Sir Julian Hartley on 14 March 2025, where we discussed the CQC’s recent challenges, and how we will continue working closely together on key priorities.Additionally, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have statutory duties relating to safeguarding adults. Local Safeguarding Adults Boards help to provide transparency through a requirement that they carry out a Safeguarding Adult Review when an adult with care and support needs has died or has experienced serious abuse or neglect. The Department commissioned a national analysis of all such reviews that took place between 2019 and 2023. This work is published and serves to identify priorities for improvement, and is available at the following link: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/second-national-analysis-safeguarding-adult-reviews-april-2019-march-2023-executive#conclusions-and-improvement-priorities

Whether she is taking steps to increase oversight of recruitment practices in domiciliary care agencies.

Most domiciliary care agencies are private sector providers and therefore their recruitment practises are independent of central Government.The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other Government departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about, and where appropriate take action against, illegal or unethical recruitment practices in adult social care.Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 states that providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. Additionally, Regulation 19 compels providers regulated by the CQC to make sure that they only employ “fit and proper” staff who are able to provide care and treatment appropriate to their role. To meet this regulation, providers must operate robust recruitment procedures, including undertaking any relevant checks.

Whether he plans to ensure the recognition of biological sex in (a) single-sex hospital wards and (b) staff facilities.

Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by the Government. This is the law, and we expect all public service bodies to comply. The recent Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case has provided much needed confidence and clarity for the National Health Service to adapt its policies to ensure that same-sex spaces are always protected. This includes NHS England’s review of the Delivering same-sex accommodation guidance, as well as providers’ policies on same-sex spaces for staff.

What steps he is taking to ensure that all households with at least one disabled resident have adequate access to (a) adapted housing, (b) support services and (c) local authority assistance in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in supporting people to live independently, and the need to support people to live behind their own front door wherever possible.In England, we fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes, through practical changes like installing stair lifts or level access showers - to make them safe and suitable for their needs. We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the DFG, which could provide around 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. The total allocations for Basildon and Thurrock in 2025/26 are £1,785,144 and £1,636,074 respectively.Funding for local authorities in England for housing-related local support services is through the wider Local Government Finance Settlement and it is for local authorities to determine which services they wish to fund, as they best understand local priorities and circumstances.More widely, to enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. The additional funding available to Thurrock Council in 2025/26 means that they will see an increase to their core spending power of up to 6.9% in cash terms.

What steps he is taking to improve access to (a) primary and (b) specialist healthcare services for disabled people whose activity is significantly limited in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local population, including disabled people.Under the Equality Act 2010, health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. The Act places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services.To make it easier for disabled people to use health services, there is work underway in NHS England to ensure that staff in health settings know if they need to make reasonable adjustments. This includes rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, which enables the recording of key information about a patient, and their reasonable adjustment needs, in health records to ensure support can be tailored appropriately.For primary care services in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, NHS Mid and South Essex has launched the ‘MSE (Mid and South Essex) Expand programme’ to improve access to general practice services across the area. Up to £3 million of capital funding is available in 2025/26 to enhance general practice premises, with a focus on accessibility and increased capacity. The programme aims to deliver at least 26 additional treatment and consultation rooms, one per primary care network, enabling an estimated 990 extra appointments per day, or a 3.7% increase. This supports increasing care delivered closer to home and reducing health inequalities.For specialist services, a new community diagnostic centre (CDC) is due to open in Thurrock in August 2025, the first of its kind in mid and south Essex. The CDC will improve access to key diagnostic services locally, reducing the need for hospital travel. The new centre is fully Disability Discrimination Act compliant and accessible for disabled people.

If he will make an estimate of how many (a) operations and (b) procedures are being prevented from happening due to a shortage of anaesthetists.

The Government recognises too many people have been waiting for National Health Service treatment, including for operations. The Government pledged to deliver an additional two million operations, scans and appointments, as a First Step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the NHS constitutional standard, by March 2029. We have exceeded this ambition and delivered over three million additional appointments since July 2024.There is no specific analysis of whether operations or procedures have been prevented. We recognise having the right workforce will be crucial to ensure we continue to make progress. We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of anaesthetic training places.

NHS England has funded 70 additional training posts in anaesthesia in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England and the Department will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of anaesthetists in the NHS.

NHS England has funded 70 additional training posts in anaesthesia in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England and the Department will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the number of anaesthetists in the NHS.

NHS England has funded 70 additional training posts in anaesthesia in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England and the Department will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of funded training places for doctors to specialise in anaesthesia.

NHS England has funded 70 additional training posts in anaesthesia in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England and the Department will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

What steps he is taking to support care homes operating at full capacity.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand.The Department publishes occupancy rates monthly on the GOV.UK website at a national, regional, and local authority level.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable patients can telephone their GP surgery for assistance rather than using online or digital services.

We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practitioner.The 2025/26 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours, which will ease pressure on phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.

What plans he has to increase the number of new care home developments.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand.The Department publishes occupancy rates monthly on the GOV.UK website at a national, regional, and local authority level.

What steps he is taking to (a) ensure patients have timely access to and (b) prevent shortages in prescription medication.

There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines, and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. Where supply issues do arise, we know how frustrating and distressing these can be for patients, and we work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues.While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages, and to strengthen our resilience.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that online services provided by GPs are (a) accessible and (b) user friendly.

As part of the 2025/26 GP Contract, a new requirement has been introduced for general practices (GPs) to offer online appointment requests throughout their core opening hours. This aims to improve accessibility by ensuring that digital services are consistently available whenever practices are open. However, the GP Contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP.Additionally, all digital tools used in primary care must meet the minimum functionality standards set by NHS England, helping to ensure a consistent and high-quality user experience. Primary care providers are also required to comply with the Accessible Information Standard. This ensures that online services are both accessible and user-friendly, supported by standardised, intuitive digital platforms that meet patients’ diverse needs.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times for (a) appointments and (b) scans following a referral from a GP.

The current national waiting list stands at 7.43 million, with 58.9% of those having waited less than 18 weeks and with a median waiting time of 14.4 weeks from referral. We will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.As a first step, we have delivered an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services between July and November 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule. The Elective Reform Plan (ERP), published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week standard, including reforms to outpatient care to reduce waiting times for appointments, increasing advice & guidance to ensure patient care takes place in the right setting, and reducing missed and less clinically valuable appointments to free up capacity for patients with greater clinical need.As of January 2025, 1.62 million patients were waiting for a diagnostic test or scan, of which approximately 1.26 million, or 77.6% of, patients had been waiting for less than six weeks.To further improve waiting times for scans, the ERP commits to transform and expand diagnostic services including investment in new and expanded community diagnostic centres (CDCs), expanding the number of CDCs operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and expanding the tests they offer. We will also develop and roll out straight to test pathways, reducing the time taken for patients to receive a test after a general practitioner referral, as well further improvements to the National Health Service’s digital capabilities.

What plans he has to tackle low levels of dental attendance in Thurrock.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service 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 South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, this is Mid and South Essex ICB.