Written questions by Shannon.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of specialist arterial vascular consultants.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.The Government is committed to training the staff we need, including doctors, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

To detail the average waiting time for gynaecological surgery, in each of the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold waiting list data for health and social care trusts of Northern Ireland. Health policy is largely devolved, and this data is therefore held by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.In England, waiting list data for all specialities, including gynaecology services and median waiting times, is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/This data does not provide a breakdown of waiting times for appointments and surgery, as waiting times are measured from referral to first definitive treatment, a decision not to treat, or when a patient has decided to refuse treatment.

What steps he is taking to improve waiting times for gynaecological (i) consultant appointments and (ii) surgery.

Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are committed to cutting waiting times across all specialities, including gynaecology. We have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard, that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029. We are making good progress, as waiting lists have been cut by over 310,000 since the Government came into office, which includes almost 20,000 patients waiting for gynaecology treatment over the same period.Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, set out the reforms we are making to improve gynaecology waiting times, across England. This includes innovative models of care that offer care closer to home and in the community, piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures. It also includes expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide valuable and protected capacity across elective specialities, including gynaecology. Currently, over half of the 125 operational elective surgical hubs in England provide gynaecology services. Wider elective reforms will help cut waiting times for gynaecology services, including more consistent clinical triage, tackling missed appointments, and scaling up remote monitoring and use of patient-initiated follow ups. We are also introducing an “online hospital”, through NHS Online. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will have the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.

Whether he plans to provide additional resources to gynaecology services to help reduce waiting times.

Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are committed to cutting waiting times across all specialities, including gynaecology. We have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard, that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029. We are making good progress, as waiting lists have been cut by over 310,000 since the Government came into office, which includes almost 20,000 patients waiting for gynaecology treatment over the same period.Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, set out the reforms we are making to improve gynaecology waiting times, across England. This includes innovative models of care that offer care closer to home and in the community, piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures. It also includes expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide valuable and protected capacity across elective specialities, including gynaecology. Currently, over half of the 125 operational elective surgical hubs in England provide gynaecology services. Wider elective reforms will help cut waiting times for gynaecology services, including more consistent clinical triage, tackling missed appointments, and scaling up remote monitoring and use of patient-initiated follow ups. We are also introducing an “online hospital”, through NHS Online. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will have the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.

To detail the average waiting time for gynaecological consultant appointments, in each of the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold waiting list data for health and social care trusts of Northern Ireland. Health policy is largely devolved, and this data is therefore held by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.In England, waiting list data for all specialities, including gynaecology services and median waiting times, is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/This data does not provide a breakdown of waiting times for appointments and surgery, as waiting times are measured from referral to first definitive treatment, a decision not to treat, or when a patient has decided to refuse treatment.

What steps he is taking to help improve respite services for carers.

The Government recognises the vital role of unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they have the support they need.In England, 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.We have raised the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit from £151 to £196 per week, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage and representing the largest cash increase ever.The Government is making around £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in England in 2028-29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

If he will take steps to ensure that people with cystic fibrosis have access to Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio on the NHS.

In July 2024, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved three disease modifying treatments, Orkambi, Symkevi, and Kaftrio, as treatment options for eligible National Health Service patients with cystic fibrosis, under the terms of a commercial agreement reached between NHS England and the manufacturer, Vertex. These treatments are now routinely funded by the NHS in England for eligible patients.Across England, further access to Orkambi, Symkevi, and Kaftrio on the NHS for people with cystic fibrosis who do not meet the eligibility requirements in the NICE guidance, is guided by the NHS England commissioning statement at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-england-commissioning-statement-arrangements-for-access-to-cystic-fibrosis-transmembrane-conductance-regulator-cftr-modulators-for-licensed-and-off-label-use-in-patients-with-cystic-fibrosis/This means that means approximately 95% of people with cystic fibrosis in England are now eligible for modulator therapy.NICE is an England-only body. Health is largely a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines for use in the NHS in the devolved administrations is a matter for the devolved government.

What steps he is taking help improve addiction and mental health treatment.

We know that people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not receive the integrated, person-centred care they require and deserve. The Department and NHS England have recently published the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Delivery framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co-occurring-mental-health-and-substance-use-delivery-framework.This framework commits the Department and NHS England to delivering several national actions to improve delivery of integrated, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services. The framework also includes recommended actions on how the health system can also work together to improve outcomes for those with co-occurring needs.We also know that gambling can have a wide-ranging negative effect on health and inequalities and is associated with poor mental health and in severe cases suicide, as well as the knock-on impacts from gambling related debt. In April 2025, the statutory gambling levy came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm across Great Britain. In its first year, the levy has raised nearly £120 million, with 50% allocated to gambling harms treatment activity across Great Britain. Lastly, rates of smoking continue to fall in the general population, although inequality remains, with higher rates of smoking in other groups such as people with a mental health condition or people in routine and manual work. Stop Smoking Services are effective in reaching high-prevalence groups. By targeting support in populations with greater need, we want to secure a smoke-free generation together, where no one is left behind.

What steps he is taking to maximise the amount of time surgeons spend in theatre.

The Government is taking steps to maximise the amount of time surgeons spend in theatre so they can get through theatre lists more quickly. This includes providing additional capacity via surgical hubs to get through high volume, low complexity lists, and by other productivity measures to free up clinicians’ time to spend in theatres.

What steps he is taking to help reduce regional inequalities in health outcomes.

It is a priority for the Government to increase the amount of time people spend in good health and prevent premature deaths, with an ambitious commitment to halve the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions.We know that everyday life poses greater health risks to the most disadvantaged in society, and that the current model of care works least well for those who already experience disadvantage and are far more likely to have complex needs. To help tackle this, we will distribute National Health Service funding more equally locally, so it is better aligned with health need.Further to this, much of what determines health and wellbeing is influenced by factors other than health services. As a result, we are taking bold action across the Government on the social determinants of health to build a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer. Cross-Government activity includes the introduction of Awaab’s Law, ensuring landlords will have to fix significant damp and mould hazards, and legislating for a new statutory health and health inequalities duty for strategic authorities. We support the NHS’s CORE20PLUS5 approach which targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population and improve outcomes for groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS. The approach focuses on improving the five clinical areas at most need of accelerated improvement, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity, and mental health outcomes, in the poorest 20% of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups identified at a local level. In addition, we know that the Carr-Hill formula, the United Kingdom’s formula for allocating core funding to general practices (GPs), is considered outdated, and evidence suggests that GPs serving in deprived parts of England receive on average 9.8% less funding per needs adjusted patient than those in less deprived communities, despite having greater health needs and significantly higher patient-to-GP ratios. This is why we are currently reviewing the formula to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed.

What reasonable adjustments are in place for people with disabilities to access GPs without going through telephone services.

General practices (GP) are independent businesses contracted by the National Health Service to deliver essential services. As part of their contract, practices must provide online consultation tools. Online consultation tools are designed to accommodate a wide range of patient needs, including improving access to people with disabilities, making it easier for patients to book appointments, request prescriptions, and register remotely.Since 1 October, GPs now must offer online access during core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30, bringing online access in line with walk-in and access, to improve convenience and reduce phone queues.After a decade of declining satisfaction, patient experiences with contacting their GP have improved significantly. As of December 2025, 75.2% of patients report that they find it is easy to contact their GP, a 14.3% increase since July 2024, from 60.9% Our approach is not a one size fits all. The GP Contract is also clear that all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. This means that patients should always have the option visiting their practice in person, or telephoning.

How many children in England are epileptic.

The Department does not hold information on the number of children in England with epilepsy. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline cites evidence that epilepsy affects about 533,000 in England and Wales, 112,000 of which are children and young people.

If he will take steps to ensure additional funding for community pharmacies to meet demand.

Funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework increased to £3.073 billion for 2025/2026. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.The 2026/27 national community pharmacy funding arrangements will be subject to consultation with Community Pharmacy England, which will commence shortly.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist doctors and nurses for headaches.

The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of the number of specialist doctors and nurses for headaches employed in the National Health Service in England.Patients presenting with headaches may be treated through multiple points of contact across primary, urgent, and secondary care, with input from different clinical teams depending on symptoms and severity.

What steps he is taking to improve dementia care in hospitals.

We want a society where every person with dementia, and their families and carers, receive high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to end of life.That is why the Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia.We have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for system leaders and will help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia. The tool can be found at the following link:https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-toolWe will also deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected this year.The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

How much his Department spent on legal costs in the last five years.

The following table shows the total legal fees for the core Department per the audited annual reports from 2020/21 to 2024/25, rounded to the nearest thousand:2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21£46,087£37,975£35,799£37,482£39,694 The legal fees for the departmental group can be found in the Annual Report and accounts in the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025#https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021

What the average waiting time is for an emergency ambulance response.

The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards patients should expect.We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26 is backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, and commits to reducing category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes on average this year.The latest data from December 2025 for ambulance response times in England shows progress, with category 2 incidents responded to in 32 minutes 43 seconds on average, this is 14 minutes and 43 seconds faster than the same period last year.

What steps he will take to increase availability of renal psychology services for kidney patients.

Mental health and psychosocial support, such as renal psychology services, for people living with kidney disease is a key priority within NHS England’s programme to improve renal care. The Renal Service Transformation Programme, published in 2023, provides a national framework for raising standards across the renal pathway, including a strengthened focus on supporting the emotional and psychological needs of patients.

What steps he is taking to improve fire safety in healthcare settings.

The National Health Service has unique fire safety issues given the nature of its services and the patients it treats. These issues and related risks are analysed with risk reduction measures such as specific technical guidance updates and technical bulletins based on this data being developed and published where appropriate. Professional networking ensures that best practice is shared with the NHS via professional organisations such as National Fire Chiefs Council, the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers, and the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management.This specific fire safety guidance is provided to the NHS in the Health Technical Memorandum 05 generally referred to as Firecode. This guidance is being revised to fully reflect recent changes in legislation, technology, and policy, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/fire-safety-in-the-nhs-health-technical-memorandum-05-03/

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of blood donation events.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. In the last financial year, NHSBT delivered over 700 donor recruitment events, resulting in 17,000 new registrations and more than 8,000 blood donation appointments booked. Current activity to raise awareness of donation opportunities across England includes:- high-profile campaigns aligned with events such as National Blood Week, World Blood Donor Day, Black History Month, Pride, and University Freshers’ Fairs. These are supported by radio, social media, billboards and bus stops, as well as through partnerships with commercial organisations, charities, and the public sector. NHSBT is also piloting advertising on TikTok to reach younger audiences who are under-represented in the donor base;- targeted activities, including local donor recruitment events, community television, and radio advertising, and the Community Grants Programme which funds trusted local organisations to engage with communities where specific blood types are most needed. Further information on the Community Grants Programme is available at the following link: https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/how-you-can-help/get-involved/community-grants-programme/;- direct marketing to previous donors, including phone calls, emails, and text messages, to raise awareness of local sessions and to encourage them to book appointments and return to donate; and- a recent partnership between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and NHSBT to encourage learner drivers, especially much needed younger people, and motorists renewing their driving licences to sign up and become regular donors.