Every parliamentary written question tabled by Nick Timothy this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 101 · Department of Health and Social Care
How many dementia specialists were recruited in England in each year since 2010 by local authority.
We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.
What steps his department will take to raise awareness of the symptoms of gynaecological cancers.
NHS England is undertaking a wide range of activity to increase awareness of the symptoms of gynaecological cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign in 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that they are worried could turn out to be cancer.NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including gynaecological cancers.
How many referrals to dementia specialists were made in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.
This data is not held centrally. While counts of patients who have received a dementia assessment and subsequently been referred to a memory clinic have been collected since the 2016/17 reporting year, the figures are not provided at an integrated care board level and are also not aggregated by local authority. This data captures the number of patients who have received such a referral, and does not capture the following:the total number of referrals, as one patient may have more than one referral to a memory clinic, but they will only be included in the count once;referrals made to memory clinics where the referral is not made following a dementia assessment recorded by the general practice; andreferrals made to specialists where they are not via a memory clinic.Data from 2016 to 2022 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication, at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/recorded-dementia-diagnosesIn addition, data from 2022 to 2025 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication: Primary care dementia data publication, at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-dataThe counts available in the March publication of each year will provide the number of referrals made within that reporting year.
How many dementia specialists were recruited in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.
We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.
How many dementia specialists there were in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.
We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.
What is the average waiting time for a dementia diagnosis since 2010 in England, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) year.
This information is not held centrally.We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate (DDR) to the national ambition of 66.7%. The DDR for patients aged 65 years old and over at the end of October 2025 was 66.5%. The rate is an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to 66.3% in September 2025. This is an overall increase from March 2020 due to sustained recovery efforts.To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, we have developed a memory service dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.
What is the average waiting time for a dementia diagnosis since 2010 in England, broken down by (a) Integrated Care Board and (b) year.
This information is not held centrally.We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate (DDR) to the national ambition of 66.7%. The DDR for patients aged 65 years old and over at the end of October 2025 was 66.5%. The rate is an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to 66.3% in September 2025. This is an overall increase from March 2020 due to sustained recovery efforts.To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, we have developed a memory service dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.
Whether he plans to include targets to improve the diagnosis times for myeloma in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including myeloma and other blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
What steps his Department taking to increase domestic recruitment of social care staff.
English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.However, the Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment of the domestic workforce.That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding, to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This won’t just improve pay for some of the lowest paid workers in our economy but will also drive critical improvements in recruitment and retention in the sector.Ensuring staff have the skills and training needed to work in social care is also essential, both to attract people to join and remain in the workforce, and for the provision of high-quality care and support. That is why we have developed the Care Workforce Pathway, the first national career framework for adult social care, and we are investing £12 million in learning and development through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, to enable eligible staff to complete eligible courses and qualifications.We have also launched the 2025/26 adult social care recruitment campaign, which is running throughout October and January with advertising appearing on television, social media, radio, and online, showcasing authentic moments in care careers and driving people with the right skills and values to apply for paid vacancies in the sector.
What steps his department is taking for suicide prevention training for (a) police officers, (b) paramedics, (c) firefighters and (d) other emergency responders.
Significant work is underway to strengthen the quality and consistency of training across the system.NHS England published ‘Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management’ to support the Government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and is available at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide.The NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the ‘Staying safe from suicide’ guidance.
What steps he plans to take to help improve (a) training and (b) awareness of (i) Lymphoedema and (ii) Lipoedema for (A) GPs and (B) other medical professionals.
Doctors are responsible for maintaining their clinical knowledge, including on lymphoedema and lipoedema, throughout their careers, and are responsible for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.All doctors registered in the United Kingdom are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012, the GMC introduced revalidation, which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence that doctors are up to date with their practice, and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors are set by the relevant medical royal college and have to meet the standards set by the GMC. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.Resources for health professionals are available from a number of professional and patient organisations to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients presenting with lymphoedema and lipoedema.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61313 on NHS: Fees and Charges, if he will publish the revenue raised by NHS penalty charges in each year since 2020, broken down by age group.
The information on payments received from National Health Service penalty charges for Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS) and Dental Exemption Checking Service from 2020 to 2024, broken down by age group is shown in the attached tables. This data is based on the date the payment was received rather than when the penalty charge was issued. Please note, ‘unknown’ dates of birth in the PECS data set are cases where a date of birth is present but cannot be accurately read.
If he will bring forward plans for hybrid backup power systems combining (a) diesel generators, (b) battery storage and (c) hydrogen fuel cells in NHS hospitals.
National Health Service trusts are responsible for ensuring adequate back-up power systems in line with national guidelines. This includes conducting risk assessments to determine which systems meet their specific needs. Health Technical Memorandum 06-01 provides technical guidance on the supply and distribution of electrical services.We continue to support the NHS to increase its energy resilience, including by diversifying its power sources. Some trusts have already implemented Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and we are funding a number of the solar projects via our £100 million collaboration with Great British Energy, which also includes BESS.
What the scope is of Palantir’s involvement in NHS data systems.
In 2023, NHS England awarded the contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform and Associated Services to a consortium led by Palantir Technologies.Access to National Health Service health and social care data within the NHS Federated Data Platform is carefully controlled. Only authorised users are granted access to data for approved purposes. The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage of the NHS Federated Data Platform. Palantir only operates under the instruction of the NHS when processing data on the platform. Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.Palantir previously provided the COVID-19 Data Platform.
What contingency plans he has to maintain pharmaceutical cold chain logistics in instances of loss of load events that exceed 12 hours.
The Department works across the health and care landscape to monitor, manage, and where possible, mitigate risks to medical supply chains.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has engaged with industry on disaster recovery plans in the event of disruption to energy supplies, including the impact on cold chain, and is confident that full line wholesalers have the necessary resilience to weather short to medium term failures of energy infrastructure and to ensure the continued integrity of medicines across all temperature limits.Under the MHRA’s Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, wholesalers are expected to have a full, demonstrable understanding of their equipment, its limitations, and its ability to operate in extreme conditions.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of power outages on mental health (a) service delivery, (b) remote digital therapy and (c) crisis response platforms.
No such assessment has been made. Planning for power outages is a core function of business continuity arrangements for all National Health Service organisations, including mental health providers. NHS England monitors such incidents to identify root causes, solutions, and learning to share across the system.
Whether the NHS has made an assessment of the level of the resilience of digital health records systems to prolonged power outages during electricity system stress events.
In the event of a disruption, the National Health Service maintains business continuity and emergency preparedness arrangements, including fallback systems, and protocols to mitigate the impact on health and patient care.The NHS has long standing measures in place to manage disruption which would be caused by a power outage. Electronic patient record systems usually have a back-up power source, and paper patient records and handwritten notes may also be used as a contingency.All NHS-funded organisations must meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the NHS Act 2006, and the Health and Care Act 2022. These requirements are also supported by the NHS Standard Contract, the NHS Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPPR) Framework, NHS Core Standards for EPRR, and the NHS England Business Continuity Management Toolkit.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61313 on NHS: Fees and Charges, how much revenue was raised by National Health Service penalty charges by type of (a) prescription and (b) dental treatment in each year between 2020 and 2024.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member on 30 June 2025 to Question 61313.
What steps he is taking to improve breastfeeding support in (a) the east of England and (b) England.
The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and giving every child the best start in life. We know breastfeeding has significant health benefits for babies and for their mothers. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England, including Bedford, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough, and Thurrock in the East of England. We have also extended and expanded the National Breastfeeding Helpline so that more families across the United Kingdom can access breastfeeding support 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Most families will be receiving their breastfeeding support from midwives and health visitors. We are committed to strengthening these services and are already making progress.
Whether his Department has participated in cross-Government exercises simulating the potential impact of national blackouts on (a) health services, (b) emergency responders and (c) energy regulators used by healthcare services.
The Department has participated in a cross-Government exercise simulating the potential impacts of national power outages on health services and emergency responders. The Department has been working on the lessons identified from this exercise to improve the resilience of the health and social care sector against the risk of a national power outage. This includes developing response plans and participating in cross-sector exercises.The Government, through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, works closely with industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure, networks, and assets, including those offshore.