Every parliamentary written question tabled by Peter Bedford this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 51 · Department of Health and Social Care
How many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
The following table shows recorded disciplinary cases which were upheld and included breaches of the Civil Service Code, for 2024 and 2025: Year of outcomeNumber of these cases where the allegation included “Breaches of the Civil Service Code”2024<520256
How many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Although the Department holds data on performance markings, it does not centrally record the number of employees on performance management plans and therefore cannot provide figures for 2023, 2024, or 2025. Senior Civil Servants (SCS) and delegated grades, non-SCS, operate under different performance management frameworks. SCS follow the Cabinet Office-prescribed SCS framework and should have at least quarterly performance conversations, at which ratings are provided. If an SCS receives the lowest performance rating for two consecutive quarters, a performance development plan is put in place with appropriate support. If the lowest rating continues, there is an expectation that the individual is placed on formal poor performance measures in line with the SCS framework.Delegated grades follow the Department’s Performance Health Check policy and receive mid and end of year performance ratings, supported by monthly performance conversations. Where a delegated grade performance falls below the expected standard, managers must take early, supportive action through regular performance conversations, before deciding on whether any informal or formal action is required under the Supporting Performance Improvement policy and procedure.
What was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the department in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Rt Hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings on 30 March 2026 to Question 121274.
What work is being done to investigate the use of body mass index thresholds as a means of determining eligibility for joint replacement surgery.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Rushcliffe on 20 November 2025 to Question 89688.
How are musculoskeletal conditions being prioritised within the neighbourhood health framework.
The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. This includes improving health outcomes with specific focus on high-priority cohorts, including people with frailty. Whilst frailty and musculoskeletal overlap, we recognise that many people with conditions affecting their joints, bones, and muscles across their life course are not frail.It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, and this could include musculoskeletal services.We know there are areas where we need to go further. Delivering a Neighbourhood Health Service will be an incremental process as local understanding develops and national reforms progress.
How many apprentices the department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.
The majority of apprenticeships in the Department are held by existing employees who started an apprenticeship after they had joined the Department.The following figures refer only to people who were recruited specifically to a role as an apprentice in each year:- zero in 2025;- seven in 2024;- zero in 2023; and- zero in 2022.
What research his Department has conducted into changes in the number of cases of auto immune disorders since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has funded several studies which explore links between SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and autoimmunity.For example, in April 2025, researchers funded by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in respiratory infections at Imperial College published a review on the mechanisms through which autoimmune responses can arise during and after viral infection, focusing on the evidence for B-cell dysregulation and autoantibody production in acute and long COVID.In 2023, NIHR-supported researchers at the University of Birmingham conducted analysis of United Kingdom primary care records to review the incidence of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. The NIHR has also commissioned targeted studies to investigate underlying mechanisms. These include The immunologic and virologic determinants of long COVID study, from Cardiff University, which is examining whether SARS‑CoV‑2 infection can trigger persistent immune activation or autoimmune processes in the post-COVID period. Another NIHR-funded project, Immune analysis of long COVID from Imperial College London, is investigating post-COVID immune dysfunction.NIHR-funded research is published and made publicly available, with findings shared through journals and NIHR Evidence.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of lowering the age of smoking and vaping to 16 year olds on the impact of 16 year olds.
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health. It claims the lives of approximately 80,000 people a year in the United Kingdom and kills up to two-thirds of its long-term users.Three quarters of smokers wish they had never started smoking but are unable to due to the addictive nature of tobacco. Raising the age of sale for smoking from 16 to 18 years old reduced prevalence in this age group by 30%. In addition, people who start smoking under the age of 18 years old have higher levels of nicotine dependence compared to those starting over 21 years old, and are less likely to make a quit attempt and successfully quit.The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free UK. It will enable us to create a smoke-free generation, gradually ending the sale of tobacco products across the country and breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.Vaping is less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid, but is not risk-free. The health advice is clear, that young people and those who have never smoked should not vape or be encouraged to vape.The age of sale for nicotine vapes is 18 years old. Due to the risk of harm and addiction, we are not considering reducing the age of sale for vaping. Whilst non-nicotine vapes and nicotine products are not currently subject to specific age of sale regulations, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill aligns the law for these products, ensuring consistency across vapes and nicotine products so that all these products are subject to an age of sale of 18 years old.
What plans he has to support physiotherapists that qualified last year into employment.
Decisions on the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve the transition into the workforce.
What steps he is taking to help increase physiotherapy employment opportunities for the cohort graduating in 2026.
Decisions on the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve the transition into the workforce.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of availability of entry-level physiotherapy roles on musculoskeletal waiting lists.
Decisions on the recruitment of physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.To tackle waiting times, we are working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders to further reduce musculoskeletal community waiting times, which are the largest volume of all community waits, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services. This includes mapping and analysing the provision and role of physiotherapists as First Contact Practitioners in primary care.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that newly qualified physiotherapists are able to access Band 5 employment opportunities within the NHS, in the context of recruitment freezes and recent trends in the level of advertised posts across England.
Decisions on the recruitment and employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve transition into the workforce.
What steps he is taking to reduce NHS waiting lists in Leicestershire.
Cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029.We are transforming elective services to ensure that patients get timely access to the care they need. This includes investing £6 billion of additional capital over five years for diagnostic, elective, urgent, and emergency capacity in the NHS.Elective capacity has been increased in Leicestershire through both a surgical hub and community diagnostic centres (CDC). The Leicester General Hospital Elective Hub opened in 2023, and with additional funding expanded further in 2024. Dedicated and protected surgical hubs focus on providing high volume low complexity surgery, separating elective services from urgent and emergency care, improving patient outcomes and reducing hospital pressures.Within the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board we are improving community access to scans and tests, helping patients get the care they need through the Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre and the Leicester Community Diagnostic Centre, both open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.In the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, which covers Leicestershire, the waiting list size has fallen by 1,000 since the Government took office in July 2024. The proportion of waits under 18 weeks in November 2025 is 54.8%.In order to return to the constitutional standard, NHS England is offering a range of support to providers to reduce waiting times. This includes tailored regional and national support, as well as sharing best practice, with additional support via the Getting It Right First Time programme.
What proportion of NHS procedures have been conducted in private hospitals in the 2025-26 financial year.
Improving elective performance and cutting waiting lists is a priority for the Government. We have made significant progress with patients being seen faster, and November saw the second biggest drop in the waiting list for 15 years outside of the early days of the pandemic.Fit for the Future: The 10-Year Health Plan for England and the Partnership Agreement between NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Providers Network reaffirmed our continued commitment to using independent sector capacity to improve access, reduce backlogs, and build a sustainable healthcare system.Between April 2025 and November 2025, the latest month for which data is available, independent sector providers delivered 9.9% of all elective ordinary and day case procedures for the National Health Service.
If his Department will review the covid-19 vaccination eligibility criteria for (a) frontline workers and (b) carers to ensure that (i) those who work in high-risk environments, (ii) those who provide unpaid care, (ii) carers aged 70 and over, (iv) those who have previously had contact with infectious diseases and (v) those in who cannot afford to access private vaccination services are not excluded from receiving the vaccine.
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026The Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 on 26 June 2025. The announcement is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advice-accepted-on-autumn-2025-covid-19-vaccination-programmeIn its advice for autumn 2024, the JCVI advised that in the era of highly transmissible Omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the COVID-19 vaccine against the transmission of infection from one person to another is expected to be extremely limited. Therefore, the indirect benefits of vaccination, for instance vaccinating an individual such as an unpaid carer or household member in order to reduce the risk of severe disease in other people, are less evident now compared with previous years. In 2025, the JCVI conducted an extensive review of the scientific evidence surrounding the impact of vaccination on the transmission of the virus from frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) to patients, the protection of HSCWs against symptoms of the disease, and staff sickness absences. In line with the JCVI’s advice, frontline health and social care workers and unpaid carers are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the national programme for autumn 2025. The focus of the programme is now on those who remain at greatest risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination.As with all NHS-provided vaccination programmes, only those eligible are offered vaccination. Any of the groups mentioned above who are otherwise eligible, because of their age or due to immunosuppression, are encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.As with all vaccines offered as part of the national programme in England, there is no charge for COVID-19 vaccination for those who are eligible. There is therefore no cost to those individuals that might discourage uptake.The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and has no plans to change the eligibility for autumn 2025. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.
If he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.
The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
Whether he plans to review the 60% disability threshold requirement to qualify for the vaccine damage payment scheme.
I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.I recognise many of the concerns that campaigners have raised regarding the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Their input will shape our ongoing consideration of reforms to the scheme.In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.I will keep Parliament updated, as appropriate.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of eligibility requirements for Employment Allowance relief on decisions by dental practices to maintain their NHS commitments.
HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.
Whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of NHS dental practices expected to reduce their NHS activity below 50% in order to qualify for Employment Allowance relief.
HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.
If he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of reforming Employment Allowance rules to ensure that NHS dental practices are adequately encouraged to provide predominantly NHS care.
HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.