Written questions by Hayes.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP patient-to-practice ratios in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

As of 30 April 2025, there were 4.3 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency, and 5.1 FTE doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients in Lincolnshire.For comparison, the median number of FTE doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients in England was 5.5 in April 2025.Each general practice is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a general practitioner should have assigned, or the ratio of general practitioners or other practice staff to patients.The demands each patient places on their general practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole, not only general practitioners but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.

If he will make it his policy that newly qualified dentists deliver a minimum amount of NHS work after graduating.

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. The Department consulted on an NHS tie-in for graduate dentists last year, and we are considering the responses. The Government position on this proposal will be set out in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of adult social care provision in Lincolnshire.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all people. This includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is now assessing how local authorities in England, including Lincolnshire County Council, are delivering adult social care. This means they are looking at how local authorities are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. If the CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has powers to intervene. The CQC's assessments of local authorities began in December 2023, following the conclusion of five pilot assessments undertaken by the CQC in November 2023, to test their assessment framework and methodology. Lincolnshire County Council was one of the local authorities that took part in the CQC’s pilots and was given an indicative rating of ‘Good’. Their report can be found on the CQC’s website, at the following link: https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/lincolnshire-cc

What steps he is taking to help improve access to care need assessments for (a) deaf and (b) blind people in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

Under the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that people with sensory impairment, such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, and people who are deafblind, in their area can access the right care and support. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for people with sensory impairments. Support for people with sensory impairments will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report when there is something to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.The first formal CQC assessments of local authorities began in December 2023 shortly after the CQC concluded its ‘pilot’ assessments in November. Lincolnshire County Council was one of the local authorities that took part in the CQC’s pilots and was given an indicative rating of ‘Good’. Their report, alongside all other formal ratings and reports, can be found on the CQC’s website, at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/lincolnshire-ccTo date, the CQC has published over 40 formal assessments, with ratings of Outstanding, Good, and Requires Improvement. The assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. If the CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has powers to intervene.

Whether it remains his Department's policy to introduce mobile dental vans in areas of need.

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 to recruit new dentists to the 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 decision about whether to commission dental vans should be made locally by integrated care boards. Local areas know the needs of their population best and are best placed to make decisions about whether or how mobile dental vans can contribute to meeting the dental care needs of their population.

What plans his Department has to improve access to paediatric eye care services in Lincolnshire.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services, including paediatric eye care services, in their areas to meet patient needs.Free National Health Service sight tests also continue to be available for children under 16 years old, and for those under 19 years old and in full time education. We are not aware of any issues with access to NHS sight testing services.

How much funding he has allocated for additional dental appointments since 5 July 2024.

NHS England is responsible for issuing guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) on dental budgets, including ringfences. NHS England’s Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets out the funding available to ICBs and confirms that improving access to urgent dental appointments is a key national priority.Dental contracts have been persistently underdelivering on National Health Service commitments, and the Government is focusing on action to enable all the available budget to be spent on dentistry.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the 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.

What steps he is taking to support women with cervical cancer in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

It is a priority for the Government and the National Health Service to improve support for women living with cervical cancer in England, including in the South Holland and The Deepings and Lincolnshire constituencies.NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer, including cervical cancer, has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. This approach ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health, as well as any practical or financial concerns.The National Cancer Plan, which is planned for publication later this year, will seek to improve the experience and outcomes for people living with cancer, including cervical cancer. It will look at how we can improve communication and coordination for patients, so that they feel informed and in control of their care.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of NHS letters regarding (a) appointments and (b) test results received late by patients in Lincolnshire.

The Government is putting patients first, making sure they are seen as quickly as possible and have the best possible experience, which includes receiving timely communication regarding appointments and test results.We are reforming the digital landscape to improve productivity, communication, and to offer greater convenience for National Health Service users, including changing the NHS App to make it easier and more helpful for patients to access information about their appointments. 87% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Expanding the use of the NHS App has prevented over 1.5 million missed hospital appointments since July 2024. It also saves staff time, so they can focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want or need it.We will also build on the success of digitising appointment letters by making more types of content about patients’ treatment available on the NHS App, such as discharge letters, by December 2025.We do not hold data on the number of NHS letters for appointments and test results that have been received late by patients in Lincolnshire in 2024 and 2025.NHS providers in Lincolnshire are working towards a patient engagement portal which allows patients to access correspondence electronically. If patients enable this function, notifications are sent to patients to allow them to log in to see any information in real time.There is also a process in place to telephone all patients that have had an appointment booked less than two weeks in advance, to ensure they have received sufficient notice of their appointments.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of nursing apprenticeships in Lincolnshire.

We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. This will include how we ensure we train healthcare staff, through all training routes, including nursing apprenticeships, to support patients in all of our communities.

How many school children are waiting for autism assessment in Lincolnshire.

The information is not held centrally in the format requested but may be held by individual providers or integrated care boards (ICBs). Some relevant information is available on autism assessment waiting times for the NHS Lincolnshire ICB.In the NHS Lincolnshire ICB, the Autism Waiting Time Statistics published by NHS England show that the number of patients aged between zero and 17 years old with an open suspected autism referral, namely diagnosis not yet complete, was 70 at the end of March 2025, which is the latest available data.Data on children and young people in this dataset is expected to be an underestimate and caution should be used when interpreting these figures since, at this stage, they are experimental rather than official statistics.

What steps his Department plans to take to improve outcomes for dementia patients in Lincolnshire.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision of dementia health care services, and we expect ICBs to commission services based on local population need, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. Lincolnshire is above the national ambition for dementia diagnosis rates, because of prioritising improvements in diagnosis rates. As a system, Lincolnshire is committed to continuing to improve its offer to support the local population following a diagnosis of dementia. This includes developing plans for a dedicated standalone service which will increase its capacity to offer support before, during, and after diagnosis.The Dementia Home Treatment Team provides a countywide, community-based ‘hospital at home’ service seven day a week, for those whose needs are escalating beyond the care of existing community mental health teams.

What steps he is taking to fund improved provisions for addiction support services in (a) South Holland and The Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment.Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet those needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing Lincolnshire with £3,382,494 from the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant and £217,783 from the Individual Placement and Support grant to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. All funding is provided at the Lincolnshire level, and it is for Lincolnshire County Council to determine how to meet need in South Holland and The Deepings.Alongside the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are increasing our efforts to support smokers to quit and have invested an additional £70 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26 for all local authority commissioned stop smoking services in England. In each financial year, Lincolnshire has been allocated £1.1 million to invest in local stop smoking services, in addition to existing spend on these services from the Public Health Grant. The purpose of this investment is to boost capacity and demand for evidence-based support to quit smoking, and ensure we secure a smoke-free United Kingdom where no one is left behind.In April 2025, a new statutory levy on gambling operators, expected to raise around £100 million per year, was introduced to fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will be distributed across the three workstreams with 50% allocated to NHS England, alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the development of effective treatment and support services at national and sub-national levels.

How many and what proportion of of cancer patients have had their 3 monthly scans (a) delayed and (b) cancelled in the last 12 months.

This data is not held by the Department. Diagnostics waiting times and activity data is published by NHS England and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/The Government commitment to reduce the number of missed and delayed appointments, including scans, is a priority for the National Health Service in England. The recent expansion of the ‘NHS App’ has already stopped 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed and saved 5.7 million staff hours since July 2024.The Department is also supporting NHS England in the implementation of the new ‘Cancer 360 tool’ which brings all the data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker. This technology is set to benefit millions of patients over the next five to 10 years. The real-time tool will help teams to easily track a patient’s progress, avert delays and harness digital innovation to improve patient outcomes.

What steps he is taking to improve fracture liaison services for people aged over 50 in Lincolnshire.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model, and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%.FLS are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs), which make decisions according to local need. This includes the Lincolnshire ICB. We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030.

What steps he is taking to improve diabetes care.

In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that people with diabetes are offered eight annual care processes in primary care, those being measurement of HbA1c, lipids, creatinine, albuminuria, blood pressure and body mass index, ascertainment of smoking status, and examination of the feet, to assess modifiable risk factors and facilitate the early identification of diabetic complications. These annual diabetes reviews are associated with reduced emergency admissions, amputations, retinopathy, and mortality.In addition to these health checks, the National Health Service is working to provide eligible patients with diabetes access to technologies which have been shown to improve diabetes care. Data from the National Diabetes Audit suggests that the number of people with type 2 diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring is increasing. In 2022/23, 37,000 people were using continuous glucose monitoring, rising to 95,000 people in 2023/24, and to 155,000 people in 2024/25. Metrics that are useful for health systems to monitor access to glucose monitoring will be published later this year.

What steps he is taking to improve stroke care in Lincolnshire.

The Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is participating in a national improvement initiative called Clinically-Led workforcE and Activity Redesign (CLEAR), which focuses on using quality improvement methods to enhance all aspects of stroke care. CLEAR is a nationally funded project supported by regional and national stroke teams, as well as the regional Medical Director. Additional backing comes from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. The initiative is examining stroke staffing models and care pathways throughout the entire patient journey. Its goal is to improve stroke services in Lincolnshire and to develop a toolkit and clinical model that can be adopted across the country. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2025.Lincolnshire is also actively addressing the key risk factors for stroke, with a strong focus on early detection and targeted intervention. The region is performing above both regional and national averages in identifying hypertension, the leading risk factor for stroke, and is recognised as an exemplar in this area. This success is driven by strong clinical engagement, the promotion of best practices, collaboration with Public Health England on the Know Your Numbers campaign, and more recently, participation in the Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme, which aims to reduce health inequalities in detection and treatment. A similar proactive approach is being applied to cholesterol management. In the past year, two outreach nurses have been introduced dedicated to treating patients at the highest risk due to elevated lipid levels.Recent Quality and Outcomes Framework data for 2023/24 highlights Lincolnshire’s strong performance in atrial fibrillation (AF) detection and management. With a prevalence rate of 2.9%, Lincolnshire ranks sixth out of 42 ICBs, well above the national average of 2.18%. This reflects significant efforts in identifying and diagnosing AF, which is an essential step in enabling timely treatment and effective management. In terms of treatment, 91.99% of clinically indicated patients in Lincolnshire received appropriate care, compared to the national average of 89.76%, placing the region fourth among all ICBs. These achievements have been made despite a significant prevalence, meaning a high number of patients need to be followed up with a review each year.For patients who have suffered a stroke, there is the offer of a comprehensive range of rehabilitation services to support recovery and long-term care. The stroke unit at the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust provides a community-based neuro-rehabilitation outreach team, delivering specialist, interdisciplinary assessments for adults with long-term neurological conditions or complex rehabilitation needs following major trauma. In addition, the NHS Lincolnshire ICB commissions a dedicated community stroke service, offering post-stroke support including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy. These services are continuously reviewed and developed to ensure they meet the evolving needs of patients.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in his Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all Government departments, to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030, to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services. Additionally, a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, via the Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship, will see new apprentices kickstart their careers across various departments, starting from January 2026. In addition, in the Department we are committed to increasing the number of apprenticeship starts by working closely with our professions, promoting insight sessions, and sharing testimonials from current apprentices to highlight how apprenticeships support staff development. This promotes the value of apprenticeships, and how they support personal development and capability, to encourage uptake across the Department.

What steps he is taking to ensure that glaucoma monitoring services are available to patients in Lincolnshire.

We recognise the important role eye care services play in maintaining good eye health. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs. This will include glaucoma services.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 on guidance issued by NHS England on cervical screening.

The Government welcomes the Supreme Court ruling and the clarity it brings for women and service providers.NHS England is working at pace to review the relevant guidance and will update them where necessary to ensure compliance with the ruling.