Written questions by Maskell.

What progress he has made in setting out a strategy on dementia.

We will 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, expected in 2026.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 National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.We intend to engage with a range of partners over the coming months to enable us to build a framework which is both ambitious and practical, to ensure we can improve system performance for people with dementia both now and in the future.

What progress he has made on introducing NHS staff treatment hubs.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed to the roll out of Staff Treatment Hubs, to provide a high-quality, wellbeing and occupational health service for all National Health Service staff. Work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes and capacity.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of provision of dental services on (a) children’s and (b) adults' oral health.

The recently published Adult Oral Health Survey 2023 provides the first picture of adult oral health in England for more than a decade. This shows that among dentate adults, those with at least one natural tooth, over two-fifths, or 41%, showed evidence of obvious decay and 9% had one or more potentially urgent dental conditions. Similarly, the Oral Health Survey for five-year-olds in 2024 indicates that 22.4%, or more than a fifth, of five-year-old schoolchildren had experience of obvious tooth decay.The Government is focussed on the prevention of poor dental health through our supervised toothbrushing programme to reach up to 600,000 children in the 20% most deprived areas of England, and by expanding community water fluoridation to the North East of England. This intervention will reach an additional 1.6 million people and will reduce tooth decay and inequalities in dental health, particularly in children and vulnerable adults.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on interim improvements to the National Health Service dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

What steps he is taking to (a) support the health and wellbeing of and (b) prevent stress and burn out in the NHS workforce.

The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is a top priority.Local employers across the NHS have arrangements in place to support staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

If he will take steps to ensure that pregnant women are (a) asked about alcohol use at the earliest point in their pregnancy and (b) given healthcare to abstain from alcohol use throughout the duration of their pregnancy.

Pregnant women with alcohol problems are often highly vulnerable with multiple and complex support needs. The Government is committed to ensuring pregnant women with alcohol problems are supported to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and the foetus, and later the baby, and to help them to engage in antenatal care, safeguarding, and other local services. The Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has recently developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment. The guidelines have a full section dedicated to pregnancy and perinatal care which sets out the principles that guide the personalised care that women and other people who are pregnant should receive, in order to be supported to reduce, and when safe to, stop their alcohol use as quickly as possible, and that this should be done in a non-judgemental, non-stigmatising way. Healthcare staff, including in maternity and alcohol treatment services, should make every effort to provide accessible care and to engage women who are pregnant and who are alcohol dependent or drinking heavily. The guidelines also reference the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance QS204, which recommends that pregnant women are asked about their alcohol use throughout their pregnancy and that the response is recorded. If there is evidence of failure to follow NICE guidelines, which can lead to negative outcomes, the Care Quality Commission can take appropriate action in response. NICE guidance is expected to be followed unless there is clear justification and alternative evidence-based practice for any deviation from them. We are providing local authorities with £3.4 billion ringfenced funding over the next three years for alcohol and drug treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol treatment and recovery services and can invest in interventions that strengthen the support available to children and families, including pregnant women affected by alcohol, according to a local assessment of need.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the new GP contract provides financial security for GPs.

General practices (GPs) are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking into account demand and the cost of delivering services. We have started the 2026/27 GP Contract consultation, and we look forward to listening to a range of stakeholders to help strengthen policy making, ensuring that GPs works for staff and patients. Further details will be announced in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 95676, whether his Department has conducted any evaluation of patient safety risks affecting people with severe and very severe ME/CFS, including malnutrition.

Patient safety risks affecting people with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), including malnutrition, have been considered during the development of the final delivery plan (FDP) published in July this year, through engagement with stakeholders, including clinicians and patient groups.To this end, the FDP includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

What steps he has taken to secure a new NHS dental contract.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the National Health Service dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reformsWe are continuing to work with the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector, including through Ministerial meetings, to deliver our shared ambition to improve access to treatments for NHS dental patients.

What assessment he has made of patient safety risks, including those relating to malnutrition, among people with severe and very severe ME/CFS in England.

In July this year, we published the final delivery plan (FDP) for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, as set out in the FDP, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one and two having universal access, whilst the third session is only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance, which can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietician with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and are at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily, and may need support with hydration and nutrition. It suggests that managing this risk could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.The FDP includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

If he will provide opportunities for NHS staff to work in (a) Gaza and (b) other conflict zones.

There are options for National Health Service staff to voluntarily provide healthcare support on a humanitarian basis and separately to their NHS duties. For example, humanitarian medical charities such as UK Med are active in Gaza, with NHS clinicians volunteering to provide life-saving medical aid to people affected by the conflict.

Whether he has provided NHS equipment to help manage infection control in health settings in Gaza.

There have been no donations of National Health Service equipment specific to infection control. However, the Government recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med and the World Health Organization in Egypt. The Government’s funding has provided 1.3 million items of life-saving medicines and enabled UK-Med to support over 500,000 patient consultations across Gaza.

What consideration he has given to opening a unit in the UK for surgical emergencies from Gaza.

In October 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care helped the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to arrange 21 tonnes of vital, life-saving Government humanitarian aid for displaced civilians in Gaza. Essential supplies included 76,800 surplus trauma kits, 1,350 water filters, and 2,560 solar lights. The Government recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med and the World Health Organization in Egypt.The Department is not currently considering opening a unit dedicated to surgical emergencies from Gaza, however we continue to urge the Israeli Government to allow and facilitate the safe, rapid, and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid and ensure that basic services are provided for all Gazan civilians.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS Trusts with recruitment freezes for (a) physiotherapists and (b) physiotherapy support workers on 17 June 2025.

The Department has made no estimate of the number of National Health Service trusts with recruitment freezes for physiotherapists or physiotherapy support workers. How NHS systems and trusts plan resources within their budgets is a matter for local discretion.

What guidance his Department has issued to the NHS on retention of newly qualified physiotherapists.

The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff, including physiotherapists.NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

What discussions he has had with NHS Trusts on ensuring that community rehabilitation is offered as a viable alternative to (a) medicine and (b) surgery.

NHS England has published guidance setting out five core perioperative requirements relating to the care of adult patients awaiting planned inpatient surgery. As part of the core requirements, patients must be involved in shared decision-making conversations to discuss the benefits, risks, alternatives, and likely outcomes of the surgery. This could involve discussing whether community rehabilitation is offered as a viable alternative to surgery. This allows patients to confirm their decision to proceed with the surgery, seek further specialist advice if required, or make the informed choice to pursue alternative options.Local providers are best placed to decide how to embed and maintain perioperative care approaches into their organisations, to reflect local needs and circumstances. The national elective recovery and outpatients programme is working with NHS England’s regional teams to help oversee and support compliance, and will continue to do so throughout 2024/25.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on community mental health services of the Trieste Model of mental health care.

We recognise the important role that community-based mental health systems play. As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we are aiming to shift more care into community settings.Building on international best practice, including those in the Trieste model, NHS England is already piloting new models of care in the community for those with severe mental illness. These new open access mental health centres are being piloted in six neighbourhood areas, including in York. These centres will provide 24/7 support to individuals and their families during times of crisis, without needing to book an appointment. Additionally, centres will provide advice around housing or employment to support individuals to stay well.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies on neighbourhood health of the York Frailty Hub.

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer. Moving care from hospitals into the community will be at the heart of the 10-Year Health Plan.Many places have already made progress in developing an integrated local approach to National Health Service and social care delivery, and there are excellent examples, such as the York Frailty Hub, of partnership working between the health and care system and its partners, including local government, other statutory services, the voluntary sector, and communities themselves.Moving to a Neighbourhood Health Service will build on this good practice and will reinforce a new way of working for the NHS, local government, social care, and their partners, where integrated working is the norm and not the exceptionIn advance of the publication of the plan, NHS England published Neighbourhood Health Guidelines to help integrated care boards, local authorities, and health and care providers to continue to progress neighbourhood health in 2025/26.

What assessment he has made of (a) the level of future social care need and (b) the potential impact tof this level of need on the social care (a) estate and (b) workforce.

The Department uses estimated future demand for adult social care (ASC) over a 20 year period, which is published by the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre at the London School of Economics.The Department uses these published estimates when assessing ASC cost pressures, which are shared with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to inform the Local Government Finance Settlement. The departments’ estimates of cost pressures reflect a range of inputs into social care services, including estates and the workforce.

What steps he is taking to integrate the health and social care (a) workforce and (b) terms and conditions.

Much of the responsibility of the adult social care (ASC) workforce, including their terms and conditions, rests with ASC employers, who are largely private providers. The terms and conditions for National Health Service staff, including those on the Agenda for Change contract, are agreed in partnership by the relevant joint negotiating committees.The Government is introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. The scope of fair pay agreements is yet to be determined. Following engagement and consultation with the sector, further detail will be set out in secondary legislation with regards to the negotiating body’s remit.The Department has launched an independent commission into ASC as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission forms a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change, recognising the importance of ASC in its own right, as well as its role in supporting the NHS.

If he will dispose Bootham Park Hospital to (a) the local authority and (b) other groups.

Bootham Park Hospital was declared surplus to National Health Service operational requirements in 2017 and was fully vacated in 2018. The NHS Property Services (NHSPS), which owns and manages the site, is required to dispose of surplus assets in accordance with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office heritage guidance, and its mandate to achieve best value to enable reinvestment into the NHS. Bootham Park Hospital is no longer suitable for healthcare use and has been classified as surplus to requirement for the provision of healthcare.If public sector bodies such as a local authority wish to purchase a property from the NHSPS to facilitate the delivery of alternative public services from the building, they would be able to register their interest and make an offer. When disposing of surplus healthcare assets, all such sites are expected to be advertised to public sector bodies before wider marketing activity commences. If there is no economically viable expression of interest from another public sector body, then it is up to the NHSPS to determine the most appropriate marketing strategy to deliver the best value from the sale, in accordance with requirements set out HM Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money.The NHSPS engaged with City of York Council and other public sector bodies through the One Public Estate programme, during which no viable public sector use was identified. In October 2023, the NHSPS formally invited bids via a tender process following the withdrawal of a prospective purchaser from the sale process. No bids were received from City of York Council or any other public sector bodies in that or any earlier sale process.The NHSPS has subsequently entered negotiations with private sector parties and agreed the terms for sale to a purchaser with planning consent in place, which will see the site converted for retirement living. The sale has been structured to deliver best value while securing a range of public benefits.The agreed disposal arrangements include substantial community and public benefits as part of the redevelopment proposals. Financially, the transaction sale proceeds will be reinvested directly into the NHS estate. Disposal of the property in its current form for public sector or community ownership would not deliver these benefits, neither would releasing this site as a community asset to the City of York.