Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps he plans to take to ensure that the targets for the additional 700,000 urgent dental appointments are met in areas with high vacancies in NHS dental services.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, with integrated care boards (ICBs) asked to start making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments will be available across the country. Patients will be able to access these additional appointments either through NHS 111, or via helplines set up by their ICB where these arrangements are in place.The methodology used to determine how to allocate the 700,000 appointments across ICBs has considered factors including unmet need, population size and projected contract delivery at an ICB level in 2024/25. Details can be found in the letter sent to ICBs on 21 February 2025 and Annex A, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/arrangements-for-nhs-urgent-primary-dental-care-during-2025-26-and-confirmation-of-the-closure-of-the-new-patient-premium-scheme/#annex-a-distribution-of-700k-additional-appointmentsICBs will be responsible for ensuring these appointments are commissioned in line with local population need, to support improved access to urgent dental care for those most in need. We will monitor delivery monthly to identify where ICBs need further support to deliver against their allocated share of the 700,000 additional appointments.Areas which are struggling to recruit and retain National Health Service dentists can make use of the Golden Hello scheme which is aimed to encourage dentists to work in areas where they are needed most.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Golden Hello scheme in improving (a) NHS dentist recruitment and (b) retention levels of staff.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.Integrated care boards have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

What steps he plans to take to ensure equitable access to NHS dental services for patients living in areas with chronic shortages of NHS dentists.

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.

What steps he is taking to improve support available for families who have lost a relative to cancer.

The Government recognises how important it is for grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones have access to the support they need, when they need it. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires local commissioners to ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement support services.Improving support for patients and carers is also an area of focus for the National Cancer Plan for England, which will seek to improve both physical and mental health aspects of cancer care. Those who wish to share their views on improving cancer support can do so via the Call for Evidence, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-planNHS England strongly encourages anyone struggling with their bereavement to contact their general practitioner who can help provide support, signpost to specialist bereavement support organisation or refer to a counsellor.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.

NHS England is delivering a range of interventions to improve awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms. NHS England runs ‘Help Us Help You’ campaigns to increase knowledge of symptoms of a wide range of cancers, including pancreatic cancer, and encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner.NHS England is also working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a Family History Checker, which enables people affected by pancreatic cancer and their families to self-assess if they have inherited risk. People identified of being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trail, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trail can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors, or by individuals via self-referral.NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, also publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve treatment for those with pancreatic cancer across England.NHS England has funded an audit into pancreatic cancer to improve consistency in access to treatments and enhance patient outcomes. On 12 September 2024, the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre published its State of the Nation Report on Pancreatic Cancer and the initial recommendations are informing improvements in treatment and care.The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) also supports delivery in the health and care system of research into pancreatic cancer, funded by industry and by partners in the charity and public sectors. The NIHR supported 73 clinical research studies into pancreatic cancer research between 2018/19 and 2022/2023 through the Clinical Research Network.

What steps he is taking to invest in developments in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

NHS England is delivering a range of interventions to improve awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms. NHS England runs ‘Help Us Help You’ campaigns to increase knowledge of symptoms of a wide range of cancers, including pancreatic cancer, and encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner.NHS England is also working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a Family History Checker, which enables people affected by pancreatic cancer and their families to self-assess if they have inherited risk. People identified of being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trail, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trail can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors, or by individuals via self-referral.NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, also publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve treatment for those with pancreatic cancer across England.NHS England has funded an audit into pancreatic cancer to improve consistency in access to treatments and enhance patient outcomes. On 12 September 2024, the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre published its State of the Nation Report on Pancreatic Cancer and the initial recommendations are informing improvements in treatment and care.The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) also supports delivery in the health and care system of research into pancreatic cancer, funded by industry and by partners in the charity and public sectors. The NIHR supported 73 clinical research studies into pancreatic cancer research between 2018/19 and 2022/2023 through the Clinical Research Network.

What steps he is taking to increase the amount of (a) research into pancreatic cancer and (b) clinical trials into potential treatments for pancreatic cancer.

The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.Research is a vital part of improving diagnosis and treatment for cancer. The NIHR has invested £4.4 million to directly funded pancreatic cancer research between 2018/19 and 2023/24. These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. An example of a recent award is the research, Translational proteomics to understand and overcome drug resistance to targeted anticancer drugs in KRAS and PIK3CA driven cancers. Additionally, NIHR infrastructure funding supports the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical and applied research that is funded by the NIHR’s research programmes, other public funders of research, charities and the life sciences industry. In doing so, our investment plays a crucial role in underpinning the research funded by our partners.The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The Department works closely with the National Health Service, industry, academia, research regulators and charities to make clinical research in the United Kingdom more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including those with pancreatic cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical research and innovative, lifesaving treatments.Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can access relevant research and clinical trials through the NIHR online service called 'Be Part of Research', which promotes participation in health and social care research, including research into pancreatic cancer, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them.

What steps he is taking to ensure patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer access (a) relevant research and (b) clinical trials.

The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.Research is a vital part of improving diagnosis and treatment for cancer. The NIHR has invested £4.4 million to directly funded pancreatic cancer research between 2018/19 and 2023/24. These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. An example of a recent award is the research, Translational proteomics to understand and overcome drug resistance to targeted anticancer drugs in KRAS and PIK3CA driven cancers. Additionally, NIHR infrastructure funding supports the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical and applied research that is funded by the NIHR’s research programmes, other public funders of research, charities and the life sciences industry. In doing so, our investment plays a crucial role in underpinning the research funded by our partners.The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The Department works closely with the National Health Service, industry, academia, research regulators and charities to make clinical research in the United Kingdom more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including those with pancreatic cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical research and innovative, lifesaving treatments.Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can access relevant research and clinical trials through the NIHR online service called 'Be Part of Research', which promotes participation in health and social care research, including research into pancreatic cancer, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them.

Whether he plans to invest in integrated models of palliative care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. We have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.In February 2025, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, and sustainable integrated models of palliative and end of life care, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan, were discussed at length.

What steps he is taking to improve bereavement support for carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires commissioners to ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement support services.Statutory guidance states commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement services available for families and carers, including children and young people. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/palliative-and-end-of-life-care-statutory-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards-icbs/

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 33841 on Mentally Disordered Offenders: Crimes of Violence, what (a) practical and (b) legal issues there are with linking medical records with justice datasets.

Effectively and securely linking health and non-health data is critical to delivering the Government’s health and wider missions.Health and justice data can be linked in specific circumstances; the National Health Service already shares some data with the Ministry of Justice as part of the latter’s Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme. The programme uses de-identified data held in a Secure Data Environment. More information on BOLD is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-better-outcomes-through-linked-data-bold/ministry-of-justice-better-outcomes-through-linked-data-boldPractical issues to sharing health data include how patient information can be stored and accessed safely. The Department of Health and Social Care and the National Health Service in England is moving to a system of ‘data access as default’ for secondary data uses, through the implementation of Secure Data Environments. These platforms allow approved users to analyse data without it having to leave the environment.The chief legal issue is usually the absence of an appropriate basis for sharing: the main ones are explicit consent, a statutory requirement, or an overriding public interest. The Department of Health and Social Care is shortly to review the legislation relating to the sharing of patient data for research and planning and other secondary purposes, to ensure it supports sharing and access, where appropriate safeguards are in place.

What plans he has to provide additional financial support to GP practices with increased costs to ensure they can maintain (a) staffing levels and (b) high-quality service provision.

We are investing an additional £889 million in the general practice contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We are pleased that the England general practitioner committee of the British Medical Association is supportive of the contract changes. The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs. The 2025/26 GP contract will make ARRS more flexible to better address local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots will be combined into a single pot for reimbursement of patient facing staff costs, with no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs and practice nurses. To boost GP recruitment and bring back the family doctor, the maximum reimbursement for GPs salaries will rise from £73,113 in 2024/25 to £82,418, reflecting the lower quartile of the salaried GP pay range. This increase includes proportional employer on-costs within the total reimbursement amount primary care networks can claim. The changes to the contract will improve services for patients and make progress towards the Government’s health mission, supporting the three key shifts the Government wants to achieve, namely from analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased National Insurance costs on GP practices in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

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. Primary care providers, including general practices (GPs), are valued independent contractors who provide almost £20 billion worth of services in the National Health Service. Every year, we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money that providers are entitled to in return under their contract.We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We are pleased that the England general practitioners committee of the British Medical Association is supportive of the contract changes.

What steps he is taking to support GPs in Essex to invest in (a) clinical equipment, (b) staff training and (c) uniforms, in the context of rises in operating costs.

We are investing an additional £889 million in the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.The Department’s MedTech Strategy, published in February 2023, and the subsequent One Year On Report in April 2024, outline our priorities for improving the adoption and spread of safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies across the NHS.General practices and primary care networks have access to a regional Primary Care Training Hub, which brings together education and training resources from NHS organisations, community providers, and local authorities. Training hubs are usually run by a clinical leader and a manager supported by a network of primary care staff, with education and training professionals based in the community. They work closely with primary care networks and integrated care systems to support workforce priorities and tackle health inequalities to help meet patient and population demand.Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. NHS England has set out expectations regarding dress code for health care providers. It is for individual practices to implement and ensure staff are dressed appropriately.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of postcodes outside the recommended minimum distance from a defibrillator in (a) Essex, (b) the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Fund.As part of the application process, the Department has selected the Smarter Society as its independent partner to manage grant applications against requirements specified by the Department to ensure that resource is allocated where there is the greatest need; for example, remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.When an AED is installed, these defibrillators are required to be registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator ambulance service database. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian/s who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required.87 AEDs have been distributed through the fund in Essex, including 1 in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32835 on Health Services: Migrants, whether (a) his Department and (b) the NHS has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting patient information categorised by immigration status; and if he will consider making this his policy.

The Department and the National Health Service do not collect patient information categorised by immigration status. No assessment has been made or is planned by the Department or the NHS to collect patient information categorised in this way.Due to the way in which data is held across multiple agencies, it is not possible to categorise the total number of people who have received medical treatment by immigration status.NHS treatment is prioritised by clinical need, and resources are allocated by integrated care boards based on the specific clinical requirements of a local area, with all patients treated equally.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of overcrowding in A&E departments.

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service during peak demand periods, including winter, and the impact this is having on accident and emergency waiting times.We are committed to supporting the NHS to improve accident and emergency performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance sets national priorities, which include improving accident and emergency care so that a minimum of 78% of patients are seen within four hours as of March 2026, and a higher proportion of patients are admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of ambulance handovers longer than 15 minutes in emergency departments.

The Government is committed to improving urgent and emergency care performance, including tackling ambulance handover delays and getting ambulance response times back to NHS Constitution standards.The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance included improving accident and emergency waiting times and ambulance response times as one of four national priorities to improve patient outcomes. The guidance set out the key actions to support reduced ambulance handover delays and improved ambulance response time performance.An urgent and emergency care improvement plan to further support improvements in services will be published shortly.

What steps he is taking to reduce overcrowding in A&E departments.

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service during peak demand periods, including winter, and the impact this is having on accident and emergency waiting times.We are committed to supporting the NHS to improve accident and emergency performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance sets national priorities, which include improving accident and emergency care so that a minimum of 78% of patients are seen within four hours as of March 2026, and a higher proportion of patients are admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.

What steps he is taking to reduce the backlog of delayed discharges from hospitals.

The Government is working to reduce delayed discharges, ensuring that people are not stuck in hospital beds when they are well enough to go home. We will tackle delayed discharges by improving local partnership working between the National Health Service and the social care system, making sure that people get the right support to return home as soon as possible. To drive improvements, we will work with those systems experiencing the worst discharge delays, utilising senior experts from across local government and the NHS.On 30 January 2025, the Government published a revised Better Care Fund policy framework for 2025/26. The Better Care Fund helps local systems to plan joint health and social care, including support for those with complex discharge needs. The new framework is better aligned with the Government’s Health Mission and will take effect on 1 April 2025. As part of this, the NHS and local authorities will be expected to make measurable improvements on delayed discharges.