Written questions by Maskell.

If he will take steps to ensure that the use of digital wearables in the NHS is accompanied by professional interventions.

Digital health technologies, including digital wearables, empower patients to manage their own health and get rapid access to peer support and clinical advice. Leveraging digital tools can improve the timeliness of interventions by helping frontline staff to provide high quality care and make the best use of their time.NHS England is working closely with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and the Accelerated Access Collaborative to improve the process for digital health technologies to be adopted by the National Health Service, ensuring it sets robust but clear standards. As part of this work, NHS England is looking at how data from wearable devices can potentially be directed to and monitored by clinical staff.

With reference to inquiry by the Health and Social Care Select Committee into Men's Health in the last Parliament, what steps he is taking to help ensure that (a) services and (b) the use of digital are targeted at demographics with poor health outcomes.

The Government's mission is getting the National Health Service back on its feet, so it is there for everyone. We are developing a 10-Year Health Plan so that we are better able to meet the needs of the population, including men. We recognise there are areas of care where men or certain groups of men will require particular support and targeted interventions to ensure they are able to live as healthily as possible.An example where this is currently being delivered is Core20PLUS5, which is focused on improving areas most needing improvement in the poorest 20% of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups.

What assessment he has made of the risks of (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists working without (i) statutory regulation and (ii) protection of title.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.

Whether he plans to regulate the (a) psychotherapy and (b) counselling professions.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that clinicians who have been found to have posed a risk to patients cannot set up as independent (a) psychotherapists and (b) counsellors.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that (a) psychotherapists and (b) counsellors are subject to (i) professional supervision and (ii) continuous professional development.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.

If he will take steps to prevent (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists from working if they are not on a voluntary register.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of providing a universal palliative care service.

No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of providing a universal palliative care service. It is difficult to quantify the total provision of, or spend on, palliative and end of life care at either a national or local integrated care board (ICB) level in England, because it is delivered every day by a wide range of specialist and generalist health and care workers in multiple settings, including in primary care, community care, in hospitals, in hospices, in care homes, and in people’s own homes. So not all palliative and end of life care will be recorded or coded as such.Palliative care services are included in the list of services an ICB must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the training provided to NHS medical staff.

The standard of undergraduate medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), who set the outcomes and standards expected. Medical schools are responsible for their curricula, and for ensuring that they deliver high quality placements that enable their students to meet the GMC’s requirements.The curricula for postgraduate specialty training are set by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for foundation training, and by individual royal colleges and faculties for specialty training. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

If he will (a) make an assessment of the adequacy of access to (i) counselling and (ii) psychological support for patients who receive a diagnosis of terminal illness and (b) take steps to ensure that such patients have immediate access to such support.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life, including counselling and psychological support if they need it.NHS Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions services provide evidence-based psychological therapies for people with depression and anxiety disorders, who also have a long-term physical health condition, including those with a terminal diagnosis. All integrated care boards are expected to expand services locally by commissioning NHS Talking Therapies services, which are integrated into physical healthcare pathways.As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

What recent assessment he has made of the workforce requirements for (a) palliative and (b) end of life care; and if he will develop a workforce plan for such care.

We will want to assure ourselves that the National Health Service has access to the workforce it needs in the years ahead to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will need to do this in light of the 10-Year Health Plan.Palliative and end of life care is wide-ranging, provided by generalist as well as specialist healthcare professionals, and is not disease or diagnosis specific. A large proportion of palliative and end of life care is not provided by palliative care specialists and, therefore, it is difficult to quantify the totality of the NHS workforce providing palliative and end of life care.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle inequalities in access to end of life care services.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those their local population, including the ability to filter the available information, such as by deprivation or ethnicity, thereby enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities.Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a new Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit launched in January 2024 and will build the evidence base on palliative and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.I recently met NHS England and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care.

Whether he plans to publish an evaluation of the effectiveness of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust community health service pilot at assisting users with employment matters.

NHS England has advised that an external evaluation of the pilots will be procured that includes early feedback to pilot sites to enable them to respond in a timely manner to early findings and learning. No decisions have yet been made on when the outcomes of this evaluation might be made available.

What his planned timescale is for reforming the NHS dental contract.

We are working at pace with the British Dental Association and the dental sector to improve and reform the dental contract.

What progress his department has made on reducing deaths from stroke and heart disease by a quarter within ten years.

Reducing avoidable disability and death from heart disease and stroke is a priority for the Government. This is why the Government has set a goal for fewer lives being lost to the biggest killers, including from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and why the NHS England's Long Term Plan (2019) sets out a number of actions that aim to help prevent up to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes, and dementia cases by 2029.The Government continues to support the delivery of the NHS Health Check programme, England’s CVD prevention programme, to people aged 40 to 74 years old. This programme identifies people at risk of CVD, supports people in reducing their risk, and prevents approximately 400 heart attacks or strokes each year. To improve access and engagement with the life-saving programme, we are developing a digital NHS Health Check which will be ready for testing in early 2025 and will enable people to undertake a check at home. We are also trialling the delivery of heart health checks to over 130,000 people in workplaces across the country.Community pharmacies also provide a free blood pressure check service for anyone over 40 years old. In cases where this results in a high reading, pharmacists can make sure people receive the right National Health Service support to reduce their blood pressure and risk of death or serious disability.We know there is more to do. The Department and NHS England are working together to achieve the Government’s ambition for fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, including CVD, and we will share more in due course.

If he will make an estimate of the number of covid-19 related deaths in the last year.

From the week commencing 6 October 2023 to week commencing 20 September 2024, there have been an estimated 9,972 deaths from COVID-19, as measured by death registrations with COVID-19 on death certificates. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19 through a variety of surveillance systems, including in general practices, through the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Surveillance Centre, in healthcare settings, and via the testing of patients in National Health Service and public health laboratories. In addition, a selection of these positive tests are sequenced to provide data on circulating variants and to potentially detect the arrival of new variants. This data is published on the data dashboard, and in surveillance reports, which are published weekly during the winter season, and fortnightly otherwise. The dashboard and surveillance reports are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2024-to-2025-seasonDuring vaccination campaigns, data on the effectiveness of the vaccines are collected and analysed, to inform ongoing discussion for future campaigns, both in terms of clinical and cost effectiveness.Following increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations during the waves that appear throughout the year, there is a proportionate increase in COVID-19 deaths. Based on UKHSA data, there is no evidence that recent waves or variants have shown a disproportionate level of severity or mortality. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19NHS England uses Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports data to monitor COVID-19 impacts through general and acute bed closure data.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of covid-19 on (a) the NHS and (b) mortality rates.

From the week commencing 6 October 2023 to week commencing 20 September 2024, there have been an estimated 9,972 deaths from COVID-19, as measured by death registrations with COVID-19 on death certificates. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19 through a variety of surveillance systems, including in general practices, through the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Surveillance Centre, in healthcare settings, and via the testing of patients in National Health Service and public health laboratories. In addition, a selection of these positive tests are sequenced to provide data on circulating variants and to potentially detect the arrival of new variants. This data is published on the data dashboard, and in surveillance reports, which are published weekly during the winter season, and fortnightly otherwise. The dashboard and surveillance reports are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2024-to-2025-seasonDuring vaccination campaigns, data on the effectiveness of the vaccines are collected and analysed, to inform ongoing discussion for future campaigns, both in terms of clinical and cost effectiveness.Following increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations during the waves that appear throughout the year, there is a proportionate increase in COVID-19 deaths. Based on UKHSA data, there is no evidence that recent waves or variants have shown a disproportionate level of severity or mortality. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19NHS England uses Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports data to monitor COVID-19 impacts through general and acute bed closure data.

What recent assessment the UK Health Security Agency has made of the level of risk of an Mpox outbreak.

The latest risk assessment is set out in the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) technical briefing, which was published on 16 September 2024, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66e83b367f20ecc7ec3aa1db/mpox-technical-briefing-9.pdfThe risk to the general population of the United Kingdom of being exposed to Mpox clade I is currently considered low. The UKHSA is operating well established monitoring and surveillance processes, ensuring rapid testing and vaccines are available, equipping healthcare professionals with latest guidance and advice on how to respond to potential cases, developing robust protocols to reduce risk of transmission, and working closely with international partners to ensure our plans and risk assessments are informed by the latest global picture.There is widespread planning underway across the Government, including work by the Department, the UKHSA, and the National Health Service to manage any potential cases in the UK and help minimise transmission.

What steps he is taking to monitor the impact of covid-19 on public health.

From the week commencing 6 October 2023 to week commencing 20 September 2024, there have been an estimated 9,972 deaths from COVID-19, as measured by death registrations with COVID-19 on death certificates. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19 through a variety of surveillance systems, including in general practices, through the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Surveillance Centre, in healthcare settings, and via the testing of patients in National Health Service and public health laboratories. In addition, a selection of these positive tests are sequenced to provide data on circulating variants and to potentially detect the arrival of new variants. This data is published on the data dashboard, and in surveillance reports, which are published weekly during the winter season, and fortnightly otherwise. The dashboard and surveillance reports are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2024-to-2025-seasonDuring vaccination campaigns, data on the effectiveness of the vaccines are collected and analysed, to inform ongoing discussion for future campaigns, both in terms of clinical and cost effectiveness.Following increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations during the waves that appear throughout the year, there is a proportionate increase in COVID-19 deaths. Based on UKHSA data, there is no evidence that recent waves or variants have shown a disproportionate level of severity or mortality. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19NHS England uses Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports data to monitor COVID-19 impacts through general and acute bed closure data.

For what reason people who turned 80 before 1 September 2024 are not eligible for the RSV vaccine; and whether exceptions can be made.

The policy for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is an independent expert advisory committee on vaccination and immunisation. That advice is provided to Government to inform, develop, and make policy.In the JCVI statement summarising the advice for the RSV programme, the Committee stated that an extension to the initial programme would be considered when there is more certainty about protection provided by the vaccination in the very elderly and evidence of the real-world impact of the programme in the 75 to 80-year-old cohort. The statement is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rsv-immunisation-programme-jcvi-advice-7-june-2023/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-immunisation-programme-for-infants-and-older-adults-jcvi-full-statement-11-september-2023.Following an assessment of specific individual clinical situations, a doctor such as a general practitioner or hospital consultant may choose to prescribe vaccines outside of the national programme, under clinical discretion.