Written questions by Campbell.

What progress he has made on pay uplifts for NHS staff for the 2025-2026 financial year; and what steps he is taking to engage with UNISON to resolve disputes to NHS pay structure.

On 22 May 2025, the Government announced that it was formally accepting the 2025/26 headline pay recommendations for National Health Service staff in England from the NHS Pay Review Body, the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists Remuneration, and the Senior Salaries Review Body. These awards will be backdated to 1 April 2025, and staff can expect to receive their awards from August.All Agenda for Change (AfC) pay points in England will be uplifted by 3.6% for 2025/26. We have also accepted the recommendation to provide the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to deliver changes to the AfC pay structure. We will work with the NHS Staff Council so that we can implement the changes by 1 April 2026.

What steps he is taking to ensure there are sufficient specialist training programmes for resident doctors to continue with their training to become (a) consultants and (b) GPs in the NHS.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. 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.

What steps he is taking to (a) help ensure equitable access to care for people diagnosed with interstitial lung diseases and (b) support local health services to improve (i) immediate and (ii) long-term care.

The commissioning responsibility for interstitial lung disease (ILD) services has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs), to facilitate joined up care and the configuration of services that will meet local needs.Early and accurate diagnosis is a priority for NHS England, and the work to improve this area of clinical care is underway, which should have an impact on reducing delayed diagnosis of ILD. The Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group is looking to update the national service specification during 2025/26, and this refresh will include an Equality Health Impact Assessment to support local implementation. The specification will cover diagnosis, management, and ongoing care for patients with ILD.NHS England also funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments for ILD. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisal, Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.Furthermore, pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with ILD and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention, not just those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To better understand the uptake of this intervention, NHS England is aiming to modify the current National Asthma and COPD Audit Programmes so that conditions other than COPD are included, and service availability can be tracked.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prescribing Androfeme for the menopause.

The Department has no plans to discuss Androfeme with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and has made no assessment of the potential merits of prescribing Androfeme. Androfeme does not have a marketing authorisation for use in the United Kingdom.Newly licensed medicines are appraised by the NICE, which is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on new medicines that represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. If Androfeme is granted a marketing authorisation in the future for this indication, the NICE will consider producing guidance under the appropriate programme, such as its technology appraisal programme.

If he will have discussions with NICE on the potential merits of prescribing Androfeme for the menopause.

The Department has no plans to discuss Androfeme with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and has made no assessment of the potential merits of prescribing Androfeme. Androfeme does not have a marketing authorisation for use in the United Kingdom.Newly licensed medicines are appraised by the NICE, which is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on new medicines that represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. If Androfeme is granted a marketing authorisation in the future for this indication, the NICE will consider producing guidance under the appropriate programme, such as its technology appraisal programme.

Whether the right to choose an ADHD practitioner is still active in Nottinghamshire.

Patients, including those in Nottinghamshire, have the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. Further information on the choices available for patients can be found on the NHS Choice framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework

Whether he plans to undertake a review of NHS service users' right to choose a provider for ADHD.

The Government is committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. This is a legal right for patients set out in legislation.

How long service users in (a) Broxtowe, (b) Nottingham and (c) the East Midlands are waiting for (i) Autism assessments and (ii) overall SEND assessments.

Information on autism assessments 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 Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB and the Midlands commissioning region.In the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, the Autism Waiting Time Statistics published by NHS England show that there were a total of 6,120 patients of all-ages with an open suspected autism referral in December 2024, the latest available data. The median waiting time of all patients in this ICB with an open suspected autism referral, where their first care contact was in the quarter, was 244 days in December 2024.In the Midlands commissioning region, the Autism Waiting Time Statistics show that there were a total of 58,445 patients of all-ages with an open suspected autism referral in December 2024. The median waiting time of all patients in the Midlands commissioning region with an open suspected autism referral, where their first care contact was in the quarter, was 352 days in December 2024.Caution should be used when interpreting these statistics since they are experimental rather than official statistics.Schools decide whether a pupil has additional needs that warrant them being on the school's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities register. Some relevant information on waiting times for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities is available from the GOV.UK website, from Education, health and care plans: England 2024, with the latest data available being from 2023. In Nottingham,TARGET DATE 05/03/202567.1% of EHCPs, including exceptions, were issued within 20 weeks and in the East Midlands 40.4% of EHCPs, including exceptions, were issued within 20 weeks.

How long service users in (a) Broxtowe, (b) Nottingham and (c) the East Midlands are waiting for ADHD assessments.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England.  Although the data requested is not held centrally, relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.We are supportive of a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape and capture examples from integrated care boards who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

How long service users in (a) Broxtowe, (b) Nottingham and (c) the East Midlands are waiting for dyslexia assessments.

Data on waiting times for dyslexia assessments is not held centrally.Assessments for dyslexia in children are currently provided by an educational psychologist or an appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia teacher. If a parent thinks their child may be dyslexic, as a first step they should speak to their child’s teacher or their school's special educational needs co-ordinator about their concerns. They may be able to offer additional support to help the child if necessary.Adults who wish to be assessed for dyslexia are advised to contact a local or national dyslexia association for advice. Further information on dyslexia assessments is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia/diagnosis/

How many National Health Service dentist practices were there in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottingham and (c) the East Midlands in (i) 1995, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2015 and (iv) 2025.

As of 4 February 2025, there are seven National Health Service practices in the Broxtowe constituency. In Nottingham, there are 110 NHS practices. In the East Midlands, there are 466 NHS practices.This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentistComparable data is not available for any of the earlier years.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of NHS dental provision in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) the East Midlands.

The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available from the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324In the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, which includes Nottinghamshire, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England. In addition, 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.Within the Midlands region, which includes the East Midlands, 42% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England. Additionally, 56% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.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 areas that need them most.

How many and what proportion of dentists are taking on new NHS patients in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottingham and (c) East Midlands.

As of 4 February 2025, there were seven National Health Service dentist practices in the Broxtowe constituency, with three showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and three showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. In the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, there were 110 NHS dentist practices, with 46 showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and 34 showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. In the East Midlands, there were 466 NHS dentist practices, 185 of these are showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and 124 showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

What assessment he has made of the trends in the level of demand for NHS dentistry services in Broxtowe constituency.

We know there are challenges with accessing National Health Service dentistry across the country. 28% of adults in England, or 13 million people, are estimated to have an unmet need for NHS dentistry.The following table shows the number of dentists per 100,000 people in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), from 2019/20 to 2023/24:YearsDentists per 100,000 population in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICBAverage number of dentists per 100,000 population across all ICBs in England2019/2051.252.92020/2140.848.62021/2245.251.02022/2348.650.32023/2449.749.5Source: data is published by the NHS Business Services Authority and is available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

How many people are affected by the shortage of NHS dentists in Broxtowe constituency.

We know there are challenges with accessing National Health Service dentistry across the country. 28% of adults in England, or 13 million people, are estimated to have an unmet need for NHS dentistry.The following table shows the number of dentists per 100,000 people in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), from 2019/20 to 2023/24:YearsDentists per 100,000 population in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICBAverage number of dentists per 100,000 population across all ICBs in England2019/2051.252.92020/2140.848.62021/2245.251.02022/2348.650.32023/2449.749.5Source: data is published by the NHS Business Services Authority and is available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324