Written questions by Fenton-Glynn.

What assessment the Department has made of the level of experience in the CAMHS workforce and the potential impact of staff turnover on service quality.

NHS England commissions regular workforce censuses of the children and young people’s mental health workforce. The most recent census, covering April 2023 to March 2024, includes information on how long staff have been in post across community and inpatient services, alongside a summary of the skills and training reported by providers. This provides insight into the experience and capability within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) workforce.The Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of staff turnover on the quality of CAMHS provision.

What proportion of CAMHS clinicians have received training in PTSD therapies, and what steps the Department is taking to improve training coverage.

Information on the proportion of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) clinicians who have received training in therapies for post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not collected centrally. Providers, such as National Health Service trusts and other organisations delivering CAMHS, remain responsible for ensuring that their clinicians have the appropriate skills and training to meet the needs of children and young people, including where PTSD therapies are required.

What assessment the Department has made of the effectiveness of Mental Health Support Teams in schools in respect to reducing pressure on CAHMS.

The Department has reviewed the available evidence and operational learning to assess the impact of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). Early findings from evaluations of trailblazer and pilot sites suggest that MHSTs are supporting earlier identification and more effective management of emerging mental health needs within educational settings. By providing timely intervention, MHSTs can help prevent difficulties from escalating to a level that would otherwise require referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). In addition to this early evidence, an independent evaluation of the MHST programme is currently underway and is due to be published later this year. This evaluation will consider the broader impacts of MHSTs, including their effect on CAMHS.

What assessment has the Government made on the effectiveness of CAHMS online therapies as opposed to in person support.

The Department has not made a specific assessment on the effectiveness of Children and Young People Mental Health (CYPMH) online therapies as opposed to in-person support. However, more widely, the Department draws on a growing body of evidence on the effectiveness of digital and online therapies for CYPMH, including findings from ongoing evaluations, research programmes, and clinical trials. This includes research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, international evidence on digital innovation, and evidence generated through local service evaluations. Digital and online interventions can provide young people with flexible, timely, and accessible support, and form an important part of a modern, blended mental health offer. The Government has committed to harnessing safe and effective digital tools across the National Health Service, including through the 10‑Year Health Plan’s focus on digitally enabled care, to improve access, increase choice, and support earlier intervention for children, young people, and families.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of capacity and reliability on the Calder Valley line; and what plans she has to address performance issues.

Government is part way through a long term investment plan for the Calder Valley line that provides more capacity, improved reliability and better connections to opportunities in Manchester, Bradford and Leeds. From May 27, the government expect to see longer trains and performance improvements resulting from the simplification of operations around Manchester Victoria. Northern will start to introduce new trains from the early 2030s. As announced in January phase three of the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme will deliver improved connections between Manchester and Bradford. To support upcoming decisions on a new Bradford station, we will assess initial options for Bradford–Manchester connectivity as part of the station business case. This assessment will include consideration of the Calder Valley line.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of upgrading the Calder Valley line on economic growth.

Government is part way through a long term investment plan for the Calder Valley line that provides more capacity, improved reliability and better connections to opportunities in Manchester, Bradford and Leeds. From May 27, the government expect to see longer trains and performance improvements resulting from the simplification of operations around Manchester Victoria. Northern will start to introduce new trains from the early 2030s. As announced in January phase three of the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme will deliver improved connections between Manchester and Bradford. To support upcoming decisions on a new Bradford station, we will assess initial options for Bradford–Manchester connectivity as part of the station business case. This assessment will include consideration of the Calder Valley line.

When she plans to publish the initial assessment of options and timings for Bradford-Manchester rail improvements as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, and whether this assessment will include specific proposals for the Calder Valley line.

Government is part way through a long term investment plan for the Calder Valley line that provides more capacity, improved reliability and better connections to opportunities in Manchester, Bradford and Leeds. From May 27, the government expect to see longer trains and performance improvements resulting from the simplification of operations around Manchester Victoria. Northern will start to introduce new trains from the early 2030s. As announced in January phase three of the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme will deliver improved connections between Manchester and Bradford. To support upcoming decisions on a new Bradford station, we will assess initial options for Bradford–Manchester connectivity as part of the station business case. This assessment will include consideration of the Calder Valley line.

Whether (a) his Department and (b) NHS Resolution collect data distinguishing between clinical negligence claims caused by (i) individual mistakes and (ii) systemic failures.

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.NHS Resolution does not categorise clinical negligence claims in a way that distinguishes between individual mistakes and systemic failures. However, NHS Resolution’s Safety and Learning team does analyse claims information to determine the multiple factors that have contributed to patient or staff harm, recognising the complex system within which health care is delivered. To support this work, the team is increasingly applying patient safety science methodologies such as the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the high ratio of legal costs to damages in low value clinical negligence claims, as highlighted by the NAO, and what steps it is taking to reduce these costs.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last ten years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. As the question describes, the Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3.1 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. That work is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the system led by the General Medical Council and the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of Government, directly accountable to Parliament and responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service is a statutory committee of the GMC. The United Kingdom's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.The Department of Health and Social Care monitors how regulators perform their duties and there are a range of mechanisms to ensure accountability. The GMC is accountable to the devolved governments. The Health and Social Care Committee and the Health and Care Select Committee of the Scottish Parliament can hold hearings with the GMC and scrutinise its activity. The GMC has a duty to publish an annual report alongside a statistical report and a strategic plan which are laid before each house of Parliament, thereby enabling scrutiny by peers and MPs.The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) also oversees all health and care regulators, including the GMC, and carries out regular performance reviews to evaluate their performance. The PSA may also escalate serious or intractable concerns to others, including the Government and/or Parliament. The GMC met all 18 Standards of Good Regulation in the PSA’s 2025 Performance Review.The Privy Council has default powers which can be used if it considers that the GMC has failed to carry out its functions in relation to the professions it currently regulates.

What information his Department holds on the reason for the 45% increase in GP negligence claims between financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25; and whether his Department is taking steps to help reduce this increase.

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.NHS Resolution’s Annual Reports and Accounts data states that claims relating to general practice services under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice increased from 2,382 in 2023/24 to 2,575 in 2024/25, which is an 8% increase. This is in line with NHS Resolution’s expectations of a maturing scheme that covers clinical negligence liabilities in relation to incidents that occurred on or after 1 April 2019. Claims under the Existing Liabilities Scheme for General Practice (ELSGP), covering incidents before April 2019, fell by 32% over the same period, from 502 to 341.The continued reduction in ELSGP claims is in line with NHS Resolution’s expectations. The scheme provides indemnity cover in respect of liabilities incurred before 1 April 2019 and so NHS Resolution expects numbers to reduce over time as fewer new claims for incidents before that date are reported. Reported numbers in 2021/22 were particularly high due to the bulk migration of claims into the scheme from medical defence organisations.

What steps his Department is taking to help (a) improve patient safety in the NHS and (b) reduce clinical negligence claims.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last ten years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. That work is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.Over recent years, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care have taken significant steps forward to address the rising costs of clinical negligence and to improve patient safety, including by implementing significant programmes under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, published 2019. The strategy is now achieving its aim of saving an extra 1,000 lives per year and £100 million in care costs per year.

Whether his Department plans to conduct a review of the threshold for erasure in cases where doctors are accused of rape or sexual assault.

The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.As a first step, we aim to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s (GMC) regulatory framework shortly and to lay this legislation before Parliament this year.As part of the consultation, we will be consulting on the criminal offences, which if convicted of, will lead to the automatic removal of a registrant from the GMC’s register.

What assessment his Department has made of the long‑term outcomes of children who receive CAMHS mental health support; and how many of these recipients subsequently use adult mental health services.

The Department recognises the importance of understanding both the outcomes of children and young people who receive support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and their transition into adult services where ongoing care is required. NHS England publishes outcomes data for children and young people receiving National Health Service funded mental health support, based on routine outcome measures collected at the start and end of treatment. However, coverage of paired outcome measures remains incomplete, and the published statistics are not fully representative of all those in receipt of care. We are working with NHS England to improve the completeness and quality of outcomes data to strengthen our understanding of the impact of services. We remain committed to improving transitions between children and adult mental health services so that young people continue to receive appropriate support as they move into adulthood.

Whether his Department is taking steps to establish a national framework for collecting and sharing data on the causes of clinical negligence.

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.NHS Resolution recognises the importance of sharing its data to provide a full picture of potential harm. NHS Resolution’s Safety and Learning Team works with its members to interpret and triangulate claims data with other insights to inform local patient safety plans. It also publishes reports to highlight causes of harm to improve safety including from maternity claims.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential causes of recent trends in levels of crisis‑level mental health referrals among children.

To understand the rises in prevalence and demand on mental health services, the Government has launched an independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. The review will examine the evidence around what is driving rising demand, including determining which trends reflect real increases in disorder, which reflect changes in awareness or access, and which are artefacts of measurement or definition.The review will look at prevalence, early intervention, and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also explore the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes. In addition, the review will look beyond the National Health Service to examine data across education, employment, housing, and digital culture to understand how they interact and where intervention can make the greatest difference.

What steps he is taking to improve whistleblowing protections for NHS staff who (a) experience and (b) witness sexual misconduct by colleagues.

The Employment Rights Act 1996 aims to protect all workers, including National Health Service staff, against unfair dismissal and detriment on the basis that they have made a ‘protected disclosure’. Where detriment occurs, workers can seek remedy through an employment tribunal. In relation to sexual misconduct, the Employment Rights Act 2025 amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 to make clear that workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment can benefit from whistleblowing protections against detriment and unfair dismissal. This will provide welcome clarity for workers and employers. It may also encourage more workers to speak up about sexual harassment in the public interest by using whistleblowing routes. The measure will commence on 6 April 2026.In addition to legal protections, there is a range of support in place for NHS workers who wish to report concerns. This includes a network of over 1,300 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, who provide an alternative route to support workers to speak up about something in their organisation, a National Freedom to Speak Up policy, providing minimum standards for local NHS speaking up policies, and support from independent organisations such as Speak Up Direct, which provides NHS and social care workers with impartial advice and support.

What assessment his Department has made of barriers to reporting sexual misconduct by doctors, including for patients and NHS staff.

We acknowledge that the confidence to report sexual misconduct in the National Health Service remains a systemic challenge that is influenced by a range of factors.For example, NHS staff often do not wish to subject themselves to a formal employment process or are concerned about reprisals from other members of staff or believe they may not be taken seriously by their manager and organisation.All trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) have signed up to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/sexual-safety-in-healthcare-organisational-charter/The principles underpinning the charter contribute to improving workplace sexual safety culture, which should empower more staff to speak up.In 2024, NHS England produced a national policy framework for sexual misconduct. The framework recommends routes through which reports can be made including Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, line managers, human resources, or via an anonymous reporting form. Every trust and ICB now has a policy in place or is in the process of adopting one, and 76% have implemented anonymous reporting for staff.The Patient Advice and Liaison service and complaints system provide routes for patients and the public to report incidents of sexual misconduct.In December 2025, NHS England wrote to NHS trusts and ICBs setting out further actions to take to ensure the sexual safety of both patients and staff. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/an-update-on-actions-to-prevent-sexual-misconduct-in-the-nhs/

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a) the COVID-19 Pandemic and b) social media on the mental wellbeing of children; and what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate these impacts.

The Government welcomes the COVID-19 Inquiry’s investigations and is committed to learning lessons from the pandemic, including those relating to the potential impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing. We continue to respond openly and transparently to the inquiry’s requests and reports, and will be paying close attention to the Module 8 report, Children and Young People, and the Module 10 report, Impact on Society, which will cover mental health and wellbeing. Whilst we wait for these reports, the Department is already embedding mental health considerations into pandemic preparedness planning.In 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published a commentary on the findings of a systematic review on screen-based activities and children’s mental health. They found an association between screen-based activities and mental health but could not establish causality. The commentary can be accessed at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c5b1510e5274a316cee5be8/UK_CMO_commentary_on_screentime_and_social_media_map_of_reviews.pdfOn 2 March 2026, the Government published a consultation on how to ensure children have a healthy relationship with devices, introduce rapid trials on measures to reduce screentime and limit access at night, and produce evidence-informed screentime guidance for parents of children aged five to 16 years old. The consultation can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation

Innovation and Technology, what steps is the Government taking to protect adults from harmful pornographic content online.

The Online Safety Act’s illegal content safety duties cover illegal extreme pornographic content; ensuring companies put in place safety measures which mitigate and manage risks. Providers must implement safety by design measures to mitigate illegal activity, reduce the risk of users carrying out illegal activity, and take down illegal content when it appears.