Written questions by Anderson.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the number of pharmacy closures.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as we shift care from hospitals to the community.The consultation with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements for 2024/25 has not yet been concluded, and we are looking into this as a matter of urgency.Pharmacies are private businesses and decisions to close reflect many factors. Patient access to pharmaceutical services remains good in England, with four in five people living within a 20-minute walk from a pharmacy, and twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas. Patients can also access approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies, who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ home free of charge, and in rural areas, Dispensing Doctors can supply medicines.

If he will run a national campaign to raise awareness of sepsis.

Local National Health Service trusts may already choose to run local public awareness campaigns on sepsis.Recent evidence suggests that there is high awareness of sepsis among the general public. The Department is focused on improving the clinical awareness and recognition of sepsis by healthcare professionals, so that unwell and deteriorating patients are identified promptly and started on life-saving treatment.NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts as new national sepsis guidance is implemented.

Whether he plans to support the use of (a) telemedicine and (b) other digital solutions to (i) alleviate pressures on GP services and (ii) improve patient access to care.

Technology is an important enabler for change, including in shifting from analogue to digital.As independent contractors, it is largely up to individual general practices (GPs) how they run their surgeries and what systems they operate to best enable patients to access their doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals for routine or urgent advice and care.Using digital tools and telemedicine, such as remote consulting, can enable faster, more convenient access for those that need it. We have committed to end the 8:00am scramble by introducing a modern appointment booking system which will improve access for patients.Patients at 95% of the GP surgeries in England can also use all the features of the NHS App, allowing them to receive personalised services and self-serve, which helps free up GP staff time for those that need it most.Digital tools are also helping to manage demand beyond primary care. 30% of all 111 triages start online and the most recent data for August 2024 shows that over 590,000 online sessions were completed in England, allowing patients to access more timely care. 111 Online is now also fully integrated and available in the NHS App, empowering more patients to take control of their own care.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that mental health services are accessible to secondary school children.

There are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England offering early easy access mental health interventions to thousands of children and young people aged 11 to 25 years old, including secondary school children. The Department is running a £8 million Shared Outcomes Fund project throughout 2024/25 to boost and evaluate the impact of 24 of these existing early support hubs, including two in London.In addition, we will roll out Young Futures hubs in every community. They will provide open access mental health support for children and young people in every community. The Department is working across Government to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school.

Whether he plans to lift the cap on the number of medical degree places.

The Government does not currently plan to lift the cap on medical school places. We are 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.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve rates of early detection of sepsis in (a) hospitals and (b) primary care settings.

In hospitals, clinicians are supported to recognise sepsis by using the National Early Warning Score, now used in 99% of acute trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England. Several trusts have also implemented the National Paediatric Early Warning Score to support the recognition of sepsis in children.NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis in primary care. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts.To support clinical staff in primary and secondary care settings, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management.

What support is available for carers of people with dementia; and whether his Department has plans to (a) review and (b) increase funding for that support.

Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers of people with dementia.However, the Government also recognises the scale of the reforms needed in social care. That is why we will engage widely with a range of stakeholders, including unpaid carers, to ensure their voices are heard as we develop plans to create a National Care Service.Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service is also clear that a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers is required to improve outcomes for carers, people needing care, and the NHS.We will carefully consider these findings as part of our 10-year plan for reforming and modernising the NHS and as we develop plans to reform adult social care, including through the National Care Service.

What steps he is taking to develop a long-term strategy to ensure sustainable access to NHS dental services for all people; and how this strategy will be implemented.

The Government is committed to tackling 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 areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.