Written questions by Savage.

If he will take steps to support vulnerable people with (a) anxiety, (b) depression and (c) other mental health issues as a result of (i) extreme weather events and (ii) climate change.

National Health Service mental health services are available to support the mental health of vulnerable people with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues as a result of extreme weather events and climate change. They can access evidence-based mental health treatment via their general practitioner or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service, with details on how to do so available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

How his Department plans to allocate the £102 million of funding to expand and update GP premises; and whether the Tolsey surgery in Sherston will receive funding.

On Tuesday 6 May, we announced which primary care schemes are in line to receive funding from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-care-utilisation-and-modernisation-fund-2025-to-2026The fund will deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice surgeries across England, which will improve the use of existing buildings and spaces, enabling improved productivity, with practices able to deliver an estimated eight million more patient appointments each year.We have made sure that every single region across the country receives part of the funding, so benefits are felt nationwide. Decisions were made based on the highest priority of need and where the investment would quickly create additional clinical space, specifically to deliver more appointments. Tolsey surgery in Sherston did not meet these criteria as strongly as other schemes within the integrated care board’s area, and it has therefore not been selected for this year’s funding.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on skills shortages in the NHS; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on that funding.

Skills England and the Department for Education are reviewing the growth and skills offer, including whether employers will fund level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy. Ministers, officials, NHS England, and a range of stakeholders across the sector have been feeding into this review and will continue to work closely with Skills England to ensure that the National Health Service has access to the skilled workforce patients need, as we rebuild the NHS and make sure it is there for us all when we need it.

How many families receive the Healthy Start scheme in (a) Cotswold and (b) Wiltshire.

The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/In February 2025, the number of people who were on the digital Healthy Start scheme in the Cotswolds was 260, and in Wiltshire was 1,875.

Whether his Department has plans to commission a review into the medicines supply market; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of price concessions on the medicines supply market; and what steps his Department plans to take to (a) support pharmacies and (b) ensure patients have access to medicines.

There are no plans to commission a review into the medicines supply market.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. We have drawn on up-to-date intelligence and data on the root causes of medicine supply issues, with manufacturing problems being the most dominant root cause.The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and the Department and NHS England are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages.The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and strengthen our resilience. As part of that work, we continue to engage with industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and other colleagues across the supply chain as we progress work to co-design and deliver solutions.In our assessment, concessionary prices support medicine supply by helping to ensure that when prices rise in a global market, pharmacy contractors can be paid fairly and continue to access medicines for their patients.Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as part of the shift from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention. The Government recently resumed its consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements. for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) financially support community pharmacies and (b) support the expansion of (i) vaccination services and (ii) support for women's health and long-term conditions.

Community pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as part of the shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.Community pharmacies already play a key role in delivering a wide range of vaccine services. Currently, NHS England commission the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service and the COVID-19 Vaccination National Enhanced Service on a national level. The Department will keep the scope of vaccinations available in community pharmacies under review.The Government recently resumed its consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements for community pharmacy across 2024/25 and 2025/26.Additionally, the Government has also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities. The 10-Year Health Plan will also align with our priority for implementing the Women’s Health Strategy as we reform the NHS, ensuring that all women can access the care that they need.The Department also remains committed to supporting people with long-term conditions and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We invest in health research for long term conditions through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long-term conditions. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local needs and priorities and improve outcomes. NHS England continues to set national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies which ICBs are expected to apply.

What steps his Department is taking to support the funding model for community pharmacies, in the context of recent trends in the number of (a) service reductions and (b) pharmacy closures.

Community pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as part of the shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.Community pharmacies already play a key role in delivering a wide range of vaccine services. Currently, NHS England commission the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service and the COVID-19 Vaccination National Enhanced Service on a national level. The Department will keep the scope of vaccinations available in community pharmacies under review.The Government recently resumed its consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements for community pharmacy across 2024/25 and 2025/26.Additionally, the Government has also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities. The 10-Year Health Plan will also align with our priority for implementing the Women’s Health Strategy as we reform the NHS, ensuring that all women can access the care that they need.The Department also remains committed to supporting people with long-term conditions and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We invest in health research for long term conditions through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long-term conditions. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local needs and priorities and improve outcomes. NHS England continues to set national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies which ICBs are expected to apply.

Whether his Department has plans to develop a pharmacy-specific workforce strategy.

Community pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as part of the shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.Community pharmacies already play a key role in delivering a wide range of vaccine services. Currently, NHS England commission the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service and the COVID-19 Vaccination National Enhanced Service on a national level. The Department will keep the scope of vaccinations available in community pharmacies under review.The Government recently resumed its consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements for community pharmacy across 2024/25 and 2025/26.Additionally, the Government has also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities. The 10-Year Health Plan will also align with our priority for implementing the Women’s Health Strategy as we reform the NHS, ensuring that all women can access the care that they need.The Department also remains committed to supporting people with long-term conditions and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We invest in health research for long term conditions through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long-term conditions. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local needs and priorities and improve outcomes. NHS England continues to set national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies which ICBs are expected to apply.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of repurposing Nightingale hospitals to provide temporary accommodation for elderly patients awaiting discharge.

We currently have no plans to repurpose Nightingale Hospitals to provide temporary accommodation for elderly patients who are awaiting discharge. The Nightingale Hospitals were established as temporary hospitals by NHS England as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all seven sites closed on April 2021.

If he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of domestic wood burners on public health.

The Chief Medical Officer’s 2022 annual report on air pollution highlighted that wood burning, particularly in urban locations, significantly worsens local air quality and has links to asthma and poor respiratory health.The Government recognises that it is important we take action to reduce emissions from domestic burning, and the impact on the health of those in homes which burn and their neighbours. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently evaluating a number of options to reduce emissions of fine particulate matter, including options for reducing emissions from domestic burning. We will support the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) increase the number of NHS appointments in rural areas and (b) improve access to (i) emergency and (ii) routine dental care for those in urgent need.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the South Cotswolds constituency, this is the NHS Gloucestershire ICB. ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years, including rural areas.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in National Insurance contributions on the affordability of social care in rural villages.

The Government considered the cost pressures facing adult social care overall in England as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the Spending Review process. To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26. Overall, core local government spending power is increasing by 6% in cash terms.

What steps he is taking to ensure that diagnostic results are transmitted promptly between NHS hospitals and GPs; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using electronic communication for those results.

Ensuring that diagnostic test results are received quickly is a priority for the Government, including the transmission of results between National Health Service hospitals and general practices (GPs). Electronic communication is an important mechanism to enable this.NHS England has formed 22 imaging and 27 pathology networks across the country, which are working to improve the quality, safety, and productivity of care, including by speeding up test reporting through the use of digital investment. Investment to improve network digitisation will enable diagnostic test results to get back to patients and GPs faster.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in response times in mental health services in (a) Wiltshire and (b) Gloucestershire.

It is unacceptable that too many people in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long.That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers nationally across both adult and children and young people’s mental health services to improve response times, reduce delays, and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the restructuring of Out-of-Hours GP services in (a) Wiltshire, (b) Gloucestershire and (c) other rural areas does not restrict patient access to urgent care.

General practices (GPs) are independent businesses who are contracted by National Health Service commissioners to perform medical services. The GP contract ensures that a consistent provision of healthcare is provided, including out of hours services which should be available to all patients, including in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and other rural areas.Practices may provide out of hours services themselves, for which they will be paid, or they can opt out of providing these with their commissioner’s approval. If a practice chooses to opt out of delivering these services, they must be made available from an alternative provider for that practice’s registered patients. This is to provide practices with flexibility, as they are best placed to understand their own workforce and workloads. Any changes in services are determined by local commissioners.