Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rachael Maskell this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 141 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether there is a mechanism in place for Integrated Care Boards to respond to correspondence from Members of Parliament.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are statutory bodies as established under the NHS Act 2006 amended by the Health and Care Act 2022. As such they must follow their own internal governance, accountability, and decision-making requirements. How ICBs follow these requirements when replying to correspondence is managed by the ICB.
If he will make an estimate of the costs involved in maintaining the building and grounds of Bootham Park Hospital.
Bootham Park Hospital site is a Grade I listed heritage asset and therefore requires significant ongoing management. The costs associated with maintaining the buildings and grounds have been £5.5 million since 2018, which covers maintenance, security, and insurance across the site, as well as the upkeep of areas that remain operational, including the chapel used by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the work required to maintain safe public access through parts of the site. NHS Property Services continues to progress plans to sell the site, which would bring these ongoing holding costs to an end.
How he plans to measure the effectiveness of the reorganisation of ICBs at delivering service transformation.
The NHS Oversight Framework provides a consistent and transparent approach to assessing integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-oversight-framework/In addition, ICBs will be expected to evaluate the impact of their commissioned services, care models, and proactive interventions as set out in the Strategic Commissioning Framework published 4 November 2025 and available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/strategic-commissioning-framework/
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of ICB centralisation on health and care service transformation.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the focus of integrated care boards will be the strategic commissioning of health and care services working across larger footprints to drive improvements in services and improve population health. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/strategic-commissioning-framework/
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of York Frailty Hub at supporting rapid discharge from acute care.
We recognise the important role that integrated care services such as the York Frailty Hub play in supporting safe and timely discharge and moving care into the community as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan. While we have not undertaken a formal evaluation, we understand that the hub has proved effective locally in supporting discharge.We continue to work closely with National Health Service partners to monitor and share best practice in supporting people living with frailty, helping patients to return home or to community settings when clinically appropriate.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of waiting times at York Hospital on patients in January (a) 2025 and (b) 2026.
We know that patients have been let down for too long, with their health deteriorating, while they wait for the care they need.Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are putting patients first by ensuring that they are seen on time and that they have the best possible experience of care across the country, including at York Hospital.As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, with an interim target of 65% by March 2026.The Department does not hold waiting list data for January 2026 and at a hospital level. The latest waiting list data for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, as of November 2025, shows that 55.7% of waits are below 18 weeks, a 0.2 percentage point improvement from the previous year.
How he plans to stabilise drug pricing for community pharmacies.
Pharmacies are an integral part of our communities. They are an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly skilled healthcare professionals. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we want pharmacies to play a bigger role as we shift more care out of hospitals and into the community.The community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.073 billion for 2025/26. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. There is also additional funding available, for example for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations, and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.The Pharmacy First clinical pathways have been informed by guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and were designed with input from an expert panel of clinicians. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of this service under review.The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.
What steps he is taking to build resilience in community pharmacies.
Pharmacies are an integral part of our communities. They are an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly skilled healthcare professionals. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we want pharmacies to play a bigger role as we shift more care out of hospitals and into the community.The community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.073 billion for 2025/26. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. There is also additional funding available, for example for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations, and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.The Pharmacy First clinical pathways have been informed by guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and were designed with input from an expert panel of clinicians. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of this service under review.The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of York Frailty Hub on his Department's screening and prevention agenda.
The UK National Screening Committee has not been asked to look at frailty as a screening programme and no specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of York Frailty Hub on the Department's screening and prevention agenda.The provision of frailty health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs), and may include services like the York Frailty Hub, which contain an element of frailty prevention. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, which will give us a significant opportunity to radically change how resources are deployed across health, social care, and wider services in local communities. There needs to be a stronger focus on prevention and early intervention, both to improve outcomes for people and to reduce pressure on both National Health Service and local government services.We will also deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected this year. The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
Whether he plans to extend the pharmacy first model.
Pharmacies are an integral part of our communities. They are an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly skilled healthcare professionals. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we want pharmacies to play a bigger role as we shift more care out of hospitals and into the community.The community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.073 billion for 2025/26. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. There is also additional funding available, for example for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations, and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.The Pharmacy First clinical pathways have been informed by guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and were designed with input from an expert panel of clinicians. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of this service under review.The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of York Frailty Hub at preventing hospital admissions.
The Department and NHS England have not undertaken a formal assessment. However, the Government recognises the York Community Frailty Hub as a positive example of integrated frailty care in supporting safe and timely discharge and moving care into the community. As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, in 84% of cases, the York Community Frailty Hub has helped paramedics avoid hospital transfers by providing advice after an ambulance is dispatched, enabling patients to be safely supported in the community rather than in hospital.
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of York Frailty Hub for enabling people to access palliative care.
While no formal national evaluation of the York Community Frailty Hub’s specific impact on palliative care access has been undertaken, the evidence set out in our 10-Year Health Plan shows that the hub is an effective model for improving timely and appropriate care for older frail people closer to their home, including those who may require palliative support. The Government is developing a palliative and end-of-life care modern service framework (MSF) for England. As part of the development of the MSF, we are running an open call for evidence from stakeholders for examples of evidence-based interventions that are demonstrated to be effective at improving the quality of, and/or access to, palliative care. We welcome submissions on the York Frailty Hub in response to this call for evidence.The York Frailty Hub was established in November 2023 to address the fragmented support for older people in the community. The hub is an integrated multidisciplinary initiative designed to proactively manage frailty within the community. This service provides frailty prevention, crisis response, and discharge support, aiming to reduce hospital admissions and improve the quality of life, and health and social care outcomes for frail individuals in York.The Frailty Hub team is a multi-disciplinary team comprised of co-located frailty nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, general practitioners with a special interest in frailty, and a palliative care nurse, among other healthcare professionals.The Frailty Hub is delivering impactful, coordinated, and cost-effective care for some of York’s most vulnerable citizens and is being recognised nationally as an example of excellent integrated delivery of community care. Continued investment in this model promises further efficiencies, reduced hospital admissions, better outcomes, and an enhanced community care experience. This integrated service is evolving at pace and finding efficiencies whenever possible.
What steps he is taking to review the NHS funding formula.
NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards (ICBs) The process of setting allocations is informed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), an independent committee that provides advice to NHS England on setting the target formula, which impacts how allocations are distributed over time.Under the supervision of the ACRA, the funding formulae for ICB commissioned services in the National Health Service are under a rolling programme of review and update. Following the 10-Year Health Plan, NHS England commissioned ACRA to review: the findings of the Chief Medical Officer’s recent reports on health across different communities to provide assurance that the factors discussed in the reports have been considered for inclusion in the ICB allocations formulae; and how the setting of ICB allocations can better support the reduction of health inequalities to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed.These reviews are expected to be completed by autumn 2026.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of fully integrating primary care with secondary care and social care.
An impact statement was completed as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, which highlights that joining up care leads to better outcomes for people and greater efficiencies in service delivery. The impact statement is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-statement-10-year-health-plan-for-englandThe Neighbourhood Health Service will be integral to how we create a National Health Service working in partnership across a full range of services, including primary, secondary and social care, to provide early interventions that meet people’s needs holistically and in a more person-centred way.
How he will ensure the integration of health and social care with workforce planning.
The 10-Year Health Plan set out how the Government will shift care from hospitals to the community. While the scope of the 10 Year Workforce Plan is the National Health Service workforce, for this shift to be meaningful, multi-disciplinary working and effective integration with social care, public health, and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector will be vital.Baroness Casey’s independent commission into adult social care is underway as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference has been designed to be sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system, and workforce, fit for the future.
How is she ensuring funding into services for people with gambling and gaming dependencies.
In April 2025, the statutory levy on gambling operators came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm. In its first year, the levy has raised just under £120 million, 50% of which is allocated to NHS England and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales to deliver treatment and support services, with 30% allocated to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales to commission prevention activity across Great Britain.NHS England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities are working collaboratively on the development of their respective gambling treatment and prevention programmes during this period of transition to the new levy system. NHS England continues to work at pace to take on commissioning responsibility for the full treatment pathway in England, from referral and triage through to aftercare from 1 April 2026.NHS England currently funds a National Centre for Gaming Disorders, offering help and support for people in England aged 13 years old and over, who have difficulty controlling their gaming and the impact it has on their lives. NHS England is currently considering the future approach to gaming services.
In devising the workforce plan, if he will include palliative care services.
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.
What assessment has she made of the adequacy of funding for sexual health services in York and across the country.
The Department provides funding for sexual health services through the Public Health Grant, which is allocated to local authorities in England, including in York. Sexual health is one of a number of public health services funded through the Public Health Grant, and the Department does not specify how much is spent on sexual health specifically. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning sexual health services to meet the needs of their populations.In 2025/26 the Public Health Grant, which funds Sexual and Reproductive Health services, rose to £3.884 billion. This was a cash increase of £224 million compared to 2024/25, providing local authorities with an average 6.1% cash increase.We will continue to invest in local authorities' vital public health work, providing over £13.4 billion over the next three years through a consolidated ringfenced Public Health Grant. This will support vital local health services, including sexual health services.
If he can set out the amount of the public health grant for York for each of the last 10 years.
The following table shows the amount of core Public Health Grant funding for the City of York Council for each financial year dating back to the last 10 years: Financial yearAmount (£)2016/17£8,433,0002017/18£8,225,0002018/19£8,013,0002019/20£7,801,0002020/21£8,020,5012021/22£8,143,1472022/23£8,371,9062023/24£8,644,9732024/25£8,905,5232025/26£9,423,183Source: Public Health Grant and social care charging: local authority circulars, avaiable at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-circulars
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the change in the public health grant for 2025/6 and 2026/7 on the shift to prevention in the NHS 10 Year Plan.
Our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver a shift in the whole health system from sickness to prevention.Over £13.4 billion will be consolidated into the Public Health Grant over the three-year period beginning in 2026/27, a 5.6% total cash increase over the period. We will publish three-year consolidated Public Health Grant allocations up to 2028/29, in line with the Local Government Finance Settlement, giving local authorities greater certainty to support long term prevention planning and make the best decisions to promote better population health.The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities and integrated care boards to assess progress on prevention of ill health. For example, the Public Health Outcomes Framework will help us to understand trends in the public’s health by tracking key indicators linked to healthy life expectancy, thereby reducing inequalities, preventing disease, and boosting well-being, as well as providing data for policy, planning, and targeting of interventions which support the shift to prevention.