Written questions by Fenton-Glynn.

How much NHS England spent on (a) communications and (b) public advertising relating to NHS (i) dentistry and (ii) oral health initiatives in each of the last five years.

NHS England has spent no money on communications or advertising relating to National Health Service dentistry or oral health initiatives in the last five years.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations and to determine the priorities for investment. They are also responsible for deciding how best to communicate about their services for patients.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) (i) communications and (ii) public advertising on NHS dentistry and (b) oral health initiatives to improve patient access to NHS dental services.

There are currently no national communication campaigns on National Health Service dentistry and oral health initiatives to improve patient access and therefore no assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the communications and public advertising on NHS dentistry and oral health initiatives aimed at improving patient access to NHS dental services.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations and to determine the priorities for investment. They are also responsible for deciding how best to communicate about their services for patients.NHS England is responsible for maintaining and updating the NHS.uk website for England, which provides information and services to help patients manage their health including on dentistry.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the NHS treating complications arising from cosmetic surgery undertaken by British nationals abroad in the last three years.

The Department does not have data on the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from cosmetic procedures conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

What steps he is taking to improve retention rates for doctors.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later in 2025 setting out how we will ensure staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more. We will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace. We have made significant progress over the past year to improve the working lives of resident doctors. This includes agreeing an improved exception reporting system which will ensure doctors are compensated fairly for the additional work that they do and reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training.NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts.

What discussions he has had with his international counterparts to improve patient safety for UK residents undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad.

The Department maintains a dialogue with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office colleagues in countries of interest to improve patient safety for United Kingdom residents undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad, as well as strengthening our bilateral engagement through discussions with health official counterparts in destination countries to improve patient pathways.

What estimate his Department has made of the average cost per patient to the NHS for treating complications from cosmetic surgery undertaken abroad.

The Department does not have data on the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from cosmetic procedures conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

What plans he has to measure the cost to the public purse of NHS expenditure on treating complications arising from cosmetic procedures undertaken abroad.

The Department does not have data on the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from cosmetic procedures conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for (a) vaccines and (b) the wider medtech sector in the context of the US Government’s decision on mRNA vaccine research.

Vaccines are an important tool for preventing and lessening the impacts of disease. The Department invests in vaccine research through several routes, targeting interventions in areas essential for health resilience, such as mRNA vaccine technology. For instance, the Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which includes the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway to support the rapid set up and delivery of clinical trials in the United Kingdom, including the UK’s first norovirus mRNA vaccine trial. The Department also established the Official Development Assistance-funded UK Vaccine Network Project in 2015 and has funded the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations since 2018.More widely, the Government is partnering with industry to drive forward mRNA vaccine research and development. Through its ten-year strategic partnership with the Government, signed in 2022, Moderna will invest over £1 billion in mRNA research and development in the UK, strengthening the UK's vaccine manufacturing capacity through construction of the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre. Additionally, the Government's strategic partnership with BioNTech will see 10,000 National Health Service patients provided with personalised cancer immunotherapies, including mRNA cancer vaccines, by 2030, ensuring that UK patients have early access to these innovative new treatments.Supporting research into vaccines is critical to improving pandemic preparedness and delivering the global 100 Days Mission, which the UK has supported since its establishment. The mission aims to have safe and effective diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines available and equitably accessible in the first 100 days of a pandemic threat being identified. The £520 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund backs UK manufacturing and will bring globally mobile manufacturing investments, including vaccines and medical technology (MedTech), to the UK, strengthening the UK’s economy and generating high-skill, high-wage jobs.The Government is also committed to supporting the MedTech industry, which is a central pillar in the UK’s life sciences sector and will help build an NHS that is fit for the future. The Government has recently set out its plans for life sciences in the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, which includes enhancing support for MedTech small and medium-sized enterprises through UK Research and Innovation and NIHR.

Whether his Department plans to publish formal terms of reference for the review of the Carr-Hill formula.

The review of the Carr-Hill formula will consider how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP contract, drawing on a range of evidence and advice from experts.Arrangements for the Carr-Hill review are being finalised. Further details will be confirmed in due course.

Whether he plans to publish guidance for (a) local authorities and (b) health services on working together to deliver local neighbourhood hubs.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and we recognise delivering high quality NHS healthcare requires the right infrastructure in the right places.That is why over the course of our 10 Year Health Plan, we aim to establish a neighbourhood health centre in every community, transforming healthcare access by bringing historically hospital-based services into communities and addressing wider determinants of health.Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most. More details will be confirmed in due course.

When he plans to publish the final report of the review into the Carr-Hill formula.

Arrangements for the Carr-Hill review are being finalised. Further details will be confirmed in due course.

Whether he plans to publish a strategy for delivering the 250-300 neighbourhood hubs by 2035.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and we recognise delivering high quality NHS healthcare requires the right infrastructure in the right places.That is why over the course of our 10 Year Health Plan, we aim to establish a neighbourhood health centre in every community, transforming healthcare access by bringing historically hospital-based services into communities and addressing wider determinants of health.Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most. More details will be confirmed in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Services, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral are still waiting to receive a first treatment appointment in each (i) NHS Trust, (ii) NHS Integrated Care Board and (iii) NHS England region as of 24 June 2025.

A document containing two tables showing the number of referrals received for mental health services, excluding NHS Talking Therapies, by primary reason for referral, and the number of referrals received for NHS Talking Therapies services by presenting complaint, sorted by provider, integrated care board (ICB), and NHS England region, from 2021/22 to 2023/24, is attached. We do not hold information on presenting conditions for people referred to NHS Talking Therapies who are waiting for a first contact. This is because the first contact will involve an initial assessment which includes, amongst other activity: discussing the patient’s view of the current main problem(s) and the impact on their life; exploring the patient's history of mental health problems; an exploration of any psychological processes that are likely to maintain the patient’s presenting problems; an exploration of any adverse circumstances that maintain a patient’s presenting symptoms; identification of the appropriate problem descriptor(s); and the completion of the NHS Talking Therapies Data Set. Until this initial assessment contact has taken place, any presenting conditions are not recorded. Unlike the Mental Health Services Data Set, within NHS Talking Therapies a 'reason for referral' accompanying the initial referral to the service is not separately recorded. Caution should be used when interpreting this data. Comparisons at low levels and between providers may not be reflective of the performance of the provider due to high levels of suppressed values due to small numbers. Primary reason for referral is not a mandatory field and completeness levels can be relatively low and vary between providers. Furthermore, if a provider has a small number of people in a specific category, a seemingly large difference between two providers might not be statistically significant and could be due to random chance. Comparisons over time should also be interpreted with caution, as completeness in the dataset has improved over time, with the numbers of providers increasing year on year, which will impact comparisons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Services, how many referrals were made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral by (i) NHS Trust, (ii) Integrated Care Board and (iii) NHS England region.

A document containing two tables showing the number of referrals received for mental health services, excluding NHS Talking Therapies, by primary reason for referral, and the number of referrals received for NHS Talking Therapies services by presenting complaint, sorted by provider, integrated care board (ICB), and NHS England region, from 2021/22 to 2023/24, is attached. We do not hold information on presenting conditions for people referred to NHS Talking Therapies who are waiting for a first contact. This is because the first contact will involve an initial assessment which includes, amongst other activity: discussing the patient’s view of the current main problem(s) and the impact on their life; exploring the patient's history of mental health problems; an exploration of any psychological processes that are likely to maintain the patient’s presenting problems; an exploration of any adverse circumstances that maintain a patient’s presenting symptoms; identification of the appropriate problem descriptor(s); and the completion of the NHS Talking Therapies Data Set. Until this initial assessment contact has taken place, any presenting conditions are not recorded. Unlike the Mental Health Services Data Set, within NHS Talking Therapies a 'reason for referral' accompanying the initial referral to the service is not separately recorded. Caution should be used when interpreting this data. Comparisons at low levels and between providers may not be reflective of the performance of the provider due to high levels of suppressed values due to small numbers. Primary reason for referral is not a mandatory field and completeness levels can be relatively low and vary between providers. Furthermore, if a provider has a small number of people in a specific category, a seemingly large difference between two providers might not be statistically significant and could be due to random chance. Comparisons over time should also be interpreted with caution, as completeness in the dataset has improved over time, with the numbers of providers increasing year on year, which will impact comparisons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Services, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23; and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral that (i) began and (ii) completed treatment received the first treatment appointment within (A) fewer than 18 weeks, (B) 18 and 24 weeks, (C) 24 weeks and 12 months, (D) 12 and 18 months, (E) 18 and 24 months and (F) more than 24 months from the date of referral in each NHS England region as of 24 June 2025.

The tables attached show, respectively, the number of referrals received for mental health services, excluding NHS Talking Therapies, by NHS England region, primary reason for referral, and waiting time for entering treatment, and the number of referrals received for NHS Talking Therapies services, by NHS England region and presenting complaint, for the financial years 2021/22 to 2023/24. For the first table, data for completed treatment cannot be provided as there is no definition for completed treatment. During April 2025, 98.5% of referrals to NHS Talking Therapy services which completed treatment had entered treatment within 18 weeks of the referral starting. As a result, the numbers of individual referrals broken down by for the waiting times requested, presenting condition, and NHS England region, would largely be suppressed and there may also be data errors which can incorrectly show extremely long waits. Therefore, these data have not been provided as they do not provide insight to the question and may potentially be misleading. Waiting times data for each region can be found in the NHS monthly Talking Therapies statistics publication, at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-talking-therapies-monthly-statistics-including-employment-advisors Caution should be used when interpreting this data. Comparisons at low levels and between providers may not be reflective of the performance of the provider due to high levels of suppressed values due to small numbers. Primary reason for referral is not a mandatory field and completeness levels can be relatively low and vary between providers. Furthermore, if a provider has a small number of people in a specific category, a seemingly large difference between two providers might not be statistically significant and could be due to random chance. Comparisons over time should also be interpreted with caution, as completeness in the dataset has improved over time, with the numbers of providers increasing year on year, which will impact comparisons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on mental health waiting lists, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral that (i) began and (ii) completed treatment received the first treatment appointment within (A) fewer than 18 weeks, (B) 18 and 24 weeks, (C) 24 weeks and 12 months, (D) 12 and 18 months, (E) 18 and 24 months and (F) more than 24 months from the date of referral in each NHS Integrated Care Board as of 24 June 2025.

The tables attached show, respectively, the number of referrals received for mental health services, excluding NHS Talking Therapies, sorted by integrated care board (ICB), primary reason for referral, and the waiting time for entering treatment, and the number of referrals received for NHS Talking Therapies services, sorted by ICB and by presenting complaint, for the financial years 2021/22 to 2023/24. During April 2025, 98.5% of referrals to NHS Talking Therapy services which completed treatment had entered treatment within 18 weeks of the referral starting. As a result, the numbers of individual referrals broken down by for the waiting times requested, presenting condition, and integrated care board, would largely be suppressed and there may also be data errors which can incorrectly show extremely long waits. Therefore, these data have not been provided as they do not provide insight to the question and may potentially be misleading. Waiting times data for each ICB can be found in the NHS monthly Talking Therapies statistics publication, at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-talking-therapies-monthly-statistics-including-employment-advisors Caution should be used when interpreting this data. Comparisons at low levels and between providers may not be reflective of the performance of the provider due to high levels of suppressed values due to small numbers. Primary reason for referral is not a mandatory field and completeness levels can be relatively low and vary between providers. Furthermore, if a provider has a small number of people in a specific category, a seemingly large difference between two providers might not be statistically significant and could be due to random chance. Comparisons over time should also be interpreted with caution, as completeness in the dataset has improved over time, with the numbers of providers increasing year on year, which will impact comparisons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Services, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral that (i) began and (ii) completed treatment received the first treatment appointment within (A) fewer than 18 weeks, (B) 18 and 24 weeks, (C) 24 weeks and 12 months, (D) 12 and 18 months, (E) 18 and 24 months and (F) more than 24 months from the date of referral in each NHS Trust as of 24 June 2025.

The tables attached show, respectively, the number of referrals received by providers for mental health services, excluding NHS Talking Therapies, sorted by primary reason for referral and waiting time for entering treatment, and the number of referrals received by providers for NHS Talking Therapies services by presenting complaint, for financial years 2021/22 to 2023/24. For the first table, data for completed treatment cannot be provided as there is no definition for completed treatment. During April 2025, 98.5% of referrals to NHS Talking Therapy services which completed treatment had entered treatment within 18 weeks of the referral starting. As a result, the numbers of individual referrals broken down by for the waiting times requested, presenting condition and provider would largely be suppressed and there may also be data errors which can incorrectly show extremely long waits. Therefore, these data have not been provided as they do not provide insight to the question and may potentially be misleading. Waiting times data for each provider can be found in the NHS monthly Talking Therapies statistics publication, which is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-talking-therapies-monthly-statistics-including-employment-advisors Caution should be used when interpreting this data. Comparisons at low levels and between providers may not be reflective of the performance of the provider due to high levels of suppressed values due to small numbers. Primary reason for referral is not a mandatory field and completeness levels can be relatively low and vary between providers. Furthermore, if a provider has a small number of people in a specific category, a seemingly large difference between two providers might not be statistically significant and could be due to random chance. Comparisons over time should also be interpreted with caution, as completeness in the dataset has improved over time, with the numbers of providers increasing year on year, which will impact comparisons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Services, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral received a (i) suspected and (ii) confirmed diagnosis within (A) fewer than 18 weeks, (B) 18 and 24 weeks, (C) 24 weeks and 12 months, (D) 12 and 18 months, (e) 18 and 24 months and (F) more than 24 months from the date of referral in each NHS Trust, as of 24 June 2025.

NHS England has confirmed the information requested is not held as data is either not available or would not provide a representative answer to the questions. NHS England collects information in the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) on people in contact with secondary mental health services with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The MHSDS is a large, complex dataset so to balance the burden on the National Health Service, some tables/fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The diagnoses tables are not mandatory so not all providers necessarily submit this information. The recording of diagnoses within MHSDS needs to be entered using clinical coding which some providers may be unable to do for various reasons. Additionally, it can take a while for a diagnosis to be confirmed for some patients. There are also other data quality issues around non-completion of the diagnosis information. We are working with providers and partner organisations to address such issues.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Service, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23; and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral received a (i) suspected and (ii) confirmed diagnosis within (A) fewer than 18 weeks, (B) 18 and 24 weeks, (C) 24 weeks and 12 months, (D) 12 and 18 months, (E) 18 and 24 months, and (F) more than 24 months from the date of referral in each NHS England Region as of 24 June 2025.

NHS England has confirmed the information requested is not held as data is either not available or would not provide a representative answer to the questions. NHS England collects information in the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) on people in contact with secondary mental health services with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The MHSDS is a large, complex dataset so to balance the burden on the National Health Service, some tables/fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The diagnoses tables are not mandatory so not all providers necessarily submit this information. The recording of diagnoses within MHSDS needs to be entered using clinical coding which some providers may be unable to do for various reasons. Additionally, it can take a while for a diagnosis to be confirmed for some patients. There are also other data quality issues around non-completion of the diagnosis information. We are working with providers and partner organisations to address such issues.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60400 on Mental Health Service, how many referrals made to mental health services in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 by primary reason for referral received a (i) suspected and (ii) confirmed diagnosis within (A) fewer than 18 weeks, (B) 18 and 24 weeks, (C) 24 weeks and 12 months, (D) 12 and 18 months, (E) 18 and 24 months and (F) more than 24 months from the date of referral in each NHS Integrated Care Board as of 24 June 2025.

NHS England has confirmed the information requested is not held as data is either not available or would not provide a representative answer to the questions. NHS England collects information in the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) on people in contact with secondary mental health services with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The MHSDS is a large, complex dataset so to balance the burden on the National Health Service, some tables/fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The diagnoses tables are not mandatory so not all providers necessarily submit this information. The recording of diagnoses within MHSDS needs to be entered using clinical coding which some providers may be unable to do for various reasons. Additionally, it can take a while for a diagnosis to be confirmed for some patients. There are also other data quality issues around non-completion of the diagnosis information. We are working with providers and partner organisations to address such issues.