Written questions by Francois.

What was the total expenditure of the NHS on medical negligence claims in the 2025-26 financial year.

Awaiting answer.

How much was spent by the NHS in England on settling medical negligence claims, in 2025-26.

Awaiting answer.

What is the salary band for the recently appointed Chief Executive of the Mid & South Essex NHS Hospitals Trust, in 2026-27.

Awaiting answer.

What is the salary band for the Chief Executive of the NHS East of England, in 2026-27.

Awaiting answer.

What was the total budget for NHS Resolution, in the 2025-26 financial year.

Awaiting answer.

If he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Chief Operating Officer of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

The Chief Operating Officer of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Finance Director of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

The Finance Director of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, which posts within NHS East of England are remunerated at the ESM 1 salary band.

Of the 14 roles in the ESM 1 band in NHS East of England, those that are currently filled are:Director of Commissioning Finance;Director of Nursing - Quality and Transformation;Director of Commissioning of Public Health;Director of Strategy, Planning and Supply;Director of Nursing – Clinical Quality;Director of Planned Care and Improvement;Director of Digital Transformation; andDirector of UEC, Emergency Response and Performance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Regional Director of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

The Regional Director of NHS East of England is not remunerated within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the Strategy Director of NHS East of England is remunerated with an annual salary within the maximum exception zone salary band.

The Strategy Director of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.

How much and what proportion of the capital expenditure promised to Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals as part of their merger into Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has been (a) allocated, (b) paid and (c) spent by that Trust.

The trust was awarded £118.6 million as part of the National Health Service upgrades programme for the reconfiguration of hospital services across three acute sites, namely Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Southend Hospital in Southend, and Basildon Hospital in Basildon. Between 2019/20 and 2024/25, the trust has accessed funding totalling £16.3 million that has been spent so far. More funding may be provided for completed work before the end of the financial year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27117 on Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: Finance, what guidance his Department issues on the management steps that NHS Acute Trusts should take when they overspend their allocated budgets.

As part of the Oversight Framework, which is currently being refreshed, NHS England closely monitors the financial performance of providers and systems, intervening and providing support where there is concern about a risk of overspending against agreed plans. Organisations with the largest financial challenges will enter NHS England's Recovery Support Programme and receive assistance from the National Intensive Support Team to strengthen financial control. Full details of the NHS Oversight Framework, Recovery Support Programme and the guidance issued to all organisations are available on NHS England's website.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, what the difference is between (a) operational max and (b) max exception zones in NHS Executive Senior Manager pay bands.

The operational maximum is the maximum salary rate NHS England can appoint without seeking permission from the Department. Salaries above the operational maximum require as a minimum approval from the Department’s Renumeration Committee, and depending on the amount, may also require approval from ministers and HM Treasury. Any salary above £150,000 requires approval from the Department’s ministers.The exception zone max is the highest figure that the Department has been delegated from HM Treasury, and appointing a salary above the exception zone requires HM Treasury’s approval. It is also important to note that there are different operational and exception zone maximums depending on the grade of the NHS Executive Senior Manager role being appointed.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the merger of Basildon, Broomfield and Southend Hospital Trusts into the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

The merger of Basildon, Broomfield, and Southend Hospitals in 2020 set out to improve health outcomes for the local population and unlock the financial savings required to deliver a sustainable health economy across the mid and south Essex footprint.Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is working with the system on a medium-term plan that will review the merger benefits thus far and consider further improvements that need to be made to ensure the Trust and wider system are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable. Benefits realised since the merger include efficient and effective use of hospital beds and appointments, financial savings, and improved staff retention rates.The Department is aware that the foundation trust entered the Recovery Support Programme in April 2024. The trust is subject to mandated support including national oversight and assurance of financial improvement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26430 on NHS England: Staff, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by NHS East of England Headquarters in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024; and what was the total salary for those employees in each of those years.

The following table shows the number of budgeted full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, specifically the number of budgeted posts rather than the number of staff currently employed, and the pay budget for NHS England East of England, each year from 2021/22 to 2024/25:YearBudgeted FTE staffPay budget2024/25637£58,855,0002023/24578.24£45,045,0002022/23731.31£47,412,0002021/22599.99£39,366,000Note: data for 2024/25 is as of the tenth month.

Whether any senior directors of NHS England were paid performance bonuses in financial years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.

NHS England publishes the performance bonus information for its national directors in their annual accounts. No national directors were paid a bonus in 2023/24, and bonuses will not be paid for 2024/25. NHS England’s latest annual report and accounts has been published and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-england-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024The following table shows the latest published Executive Senior Manager (ESM) pay framework from 2021, which applies to the East of England region:Role gradePay bandsMinimumOperational maxMax exception zoneESM 1£90,900£113,625£131,300ESM 2£131,301£146,450£161,600ESM 3£161,601£176,750£191,900ESM 4£191,901£207,050£222,200 Although not all posts are currently filled, the number of permanent posts by grade in the region are as follows:14 for ESM 1;seven for ESM 2;one for ESM 3; andzero for ESM 4.NHS England’s regional communications functions are currently centrally employed. This resource is then provided to regions to support their work. There are eight posts, specifically seven staff and one vacancy, providing communications, media, and engagement support to the National Health Service in the East of England in meeting its statutory and constitutional responsibilities on engaging with the public and helping patients find the right services.

Whether any directors of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust were paid any form of bonuses in financial years (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25.

Information on the renumeration, including bonuses, of senior staff is published by hospital trusts as part of their annual report and accounts. It is for the local Remuneration Committee of each National Health Service trust to approve bonuses for directors. The information for the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust is available at the following link:https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports?smbfolder=150

How many (a) communications and (b) media staff are employed by NHS East of England.

NHS England publishes the performance bonus information for its national directors in their annual accounts. No national directors were paid a bonus in 2023/24, and bonuses will not be paid for 2024/25. NHS England’s latest annual report and accounts has been published and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-england-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024The following table shows the latest published Executive Senior Manager (ESM) pay framework from 2021, which applies to the East of England region:Role gradePay bandsMinimumOperational maxMax exception zoneESM 1£90,900£113,625£131,300ESM 2£131,301£146,450£161,600ESM 3£161,601£176,750£191,900ESM 4£191,901£207,050£222,200 Although not all posts are currently filled, the number of permanent posts by grade in the region are as follows:14 for ESM 1;seven for ESM 2;one for ESM 3; andzero for ESM 4.NHS England’s regional communications functions are currently centrally employed. This resource is then provided to regions to support their work. There are eight posts, specifically seven staff and one vacancy, providing communications, media, and engagement support to the National Health Service in the East of England in meeting its statutory and constitutional responsibilities on engaging with the public and helping patients find the right services.

When NHS East of England plans to publish an annual report for 2024-25.

National Health Service East of England is a regional team within NHS England, and as such they do not publish an annual report. The NHS England’s annual report and accounts includes the regional teams, other NHS England operations, and group bodies.