Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 267 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether any analysis has been undertaken comparing the volume, severity, or cost of clinical negligence claims involving UK‑trained and internationally trained clinicians.
No analysis has been undertaken comparing the volume, severity, or cost of clinical negligence claims involving United Kingdom trained and internationally trained clinicians.
Whether NHS Resolution records whether claimants had a pre‑existing disability at the time of the incident giving rise to a clinical negligence claim, and whether any data is held on long‑term disability arising as a result of negligent care.
NHS Resolution (NHSR) is an arm’s length body of the Department of Health and Social Care. Its role is to manage clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.This data is not held by NHSR. NHSR has not routinely collected demographic information about claimants or clinicians beyond what is strictly necessary to progress individual claims. This is typically limited to basic identifiers such as age and sex where relevant. This reflects both the legal framework under which the NHSR operates and the fact that demographic information is not required to manage claims effectively.
What percentage of NHS dental practices are accepting new adult NHS patients in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency, (b) Norfolk and (c) England.
As of January 2026, the latest data available, 9% of National Health Service dental practices in the Great Yarmouth constituency were showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. For the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB), there were 10% of NHS dental practices showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’, and 26% across England.These data are sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentistThe responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to ICBs across England.The data for the Norfolk and Waveney ICB, which includes the Great Yarmouth constituency, shows that 51% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 57% in England as a whole.
What recent assessment he has made of the challenges in (a) recruiting and (b) retaining GPs in coastal towns.
Thanks to actions taken by the Government, we have the highest number of fully qualified general practices (GPs) since 2015, and steps are being taken to grow the GP workforce further. Since October 2024 we have funded primary care networks (PCNs) with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). Over 2,000 individual GPs are in post as a result of the scheme, preventing them graduating into unemployment and increasing clinical capacity. This was a measure to respond to feedback from the profession and to help solve an immediate issue of GP unemployment. We are investing £601 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to over £14 billion. This builds on the £1.1 billion boost in investment in 2025/26. As part of the 26/27 GP Contract, we are increasing the flexibility of the ARRS by removing the restriction that ARRS funding can only be used for recently qualified GPs, increasing the maximum reimbursement amount for GP roles to reflect experience, and enabling PCNs to recruit a broader range of ARRS roles, where agreed with the commissioner. Our commitment to growing the GP workforce includes addressing the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encouraging them to return to practice. Retention efforts in GPs focus on addressing workload pressures, offering career development opportunities, providing flexible working opportunities, and implementing supportive policies.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 NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.We know that the way GP funding is allocated across England is considered outdated and we recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the Carr-Hill formula to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed.
How many full‑time equivalent GPs were practising in the Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last five years, and how many patients these GPs were responsible for in each of those years.
The following table shows full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice and patients per FTE doctor in general practice in the Great Yarmouth constituency, from December 2021 to December 2025:DateTotal FTE doctors in general practiceMedian patients per FTE doctor in general practiceDecember 202161.91,539December 202258.91,779December 202366.41,441December 202470.81,568December 202566.41,966Notes:data does not include estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records;data does not include GPs employed by primary care networks;FTE refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. One would indicate they work a full set of hours, 37.5 hours, 0.5 that they worked half time. In GPs in Training Grade contracts, one FTE equals 40 hours and in this table these FTEs have been converted to the standard Workforce Minimum Data Set measure of one FTE being 37.5 hours for consistency;figures shown do not include staff working in Prisons, Army Bases, Educational Establishments, Specialist Care Centres including Drug Rehabilitation Centres, Walk-In Centres, and other alternative settings outside of traditional general practice such as urgent treatment centres and minor injury units; andpractices in the Great Yarmouth constituency were identified using the practice postcode and the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.The national median number of patients per FTE doctor in general practice in December 2025 was 1,805.
What the average waiting time is for a routine GP appointment in Great Yarmouth constituency, and how this compares with the England average.
NHS England publishes monthly data on General Practice Appointments, including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, but this is not a proxy for “waiting times”.There are a number of factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and it is not possible to estimate the time between the patient’s first attempt to contact their surgery and an appointment. In the year to February 2026, 263,000 appointments in the Great Yarmouth constituency took place on the same day as booking and 533,000 took place more than two weeks after booking, compared with 165 million and 306.2 million appointments respectively across England.
What proportion of children in Great Yarmouth constituency were able to access an NHS dentist in the last 12 months.
As of January 2026, the latest data available, 9% of National Health Service dental practices in the Great Yarmouth constituency were showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. For the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB), there were 10% of NHS dental practices showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’, and 26% across England.These data are sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentistThe responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to ICBs across England.The data for the Norfolk and Waveney ICB, which includes the Great Yarmouth constituency, shows that 51% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 57% in England as a whole.
What recent estimate he has made of the average waiting time for an adult NHS dental appointment in Great Yarmouth constituency.
Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. Therefore, data on waiting times for NHS dental treatment is not held centrally.
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of talking-therapy-based interventions for young people previously charged with violent offences involving (a) weapons and (b) bladed articles known to (i) mental health and (ii) youth justice services as presenting a risk of serious violence.
The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that effective, evidence-based support is available for young people with mental health needs who present a risk of serious violence.The Department has not made a separate or specific assessment of the effectiveness of talking therapies for the highly specific cohort described. However, there is strong evidence that talking-therapy-based interventions, including cognitive behavioural therapy, are effective in improving mental health outcomes for children and young people. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received mental health support compared to the previous 12 months. We are also rolling out Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges in England to reach full national coverage by 2029.Where someone has a mental disorder and there is a risk of harm to themselves or others, the triaging of their need will result in prioritised access to assessment and treatment. If a person with a mental disorder is seen as a significant risk of violence to others, this would increase the priority given. NHS England has shared new draft guidance with systems, the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework, which sets out how services must effectively assess, plan, and manage people's care in collaboration with all relevant teams, including how they assess safety and risks of harm.
If he will make a comparative assessment of (a) recorded animal welfare non‑compliances and (b) the potential impact on the Food Standards Agency's inspection costs associated with (i) stunned and (ii) non‑stun slaughter.
Operators of Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouses may use any legally permitted method of slaughter to meet their customer needs, provided all relevant legislative and animal welfare requirements are met. There is no legal requirement for operators to seek approval from the FSA for a particular slaughter method. As a result, slaughterhouses may lawfully carry out stunned slaughter, non‑stunned slaughter, or a combination of both. The FSA does not record Official Veterinarian or Official Auxiliary time, associated costs, or enforcement activity by slaughter method. Consequently, the FSA does not hold data that would allow a direct comparison between stunned and non‑stunned slaughter in respect of supervision time, inspection or enforcement costs, or animal welfare non‑compliances. Data regarding the volume of meat resulting from animals slaughtered without stunning is not collected.
If he will make a comparative estimate of the costs to the Food Standards Agency of supervising (a) non‑stun slaughter and (b) stunned slaughter; and what proportion of those costs are recovered from industry.
Operators of Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouses may use any legally permitted method of slaughter to meet their customer needs, provided all relevant legislative and animal welfare requirements are met. There is no legal requirement for operators to seek approval from the FSA for a particular slaughter method. As a result, slaughterhouses may lawfully carry out stunned slaughter, non‑stunned slaughter, or a combination of both. The FSA does not record Official Veterinarian or Official Auxiliary time, associated costs, or enforcement activity by slaughter method. Consequently, the FSA does not hold data that would allow a direct comparison between stunned and non‑stunned slaughter in respect of supervision time, inspection or enforcement costs, or animal welfare non‑compliances. Data regarding the volume of meat resulting from animals slaughtered without stunning is not collected.
If he will make a comparative assessment of the (a) inspection and enforcement time required for non‑stun slaughter and (b) volume of non‑stun meat produced in the UK.
Operators of Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouses may use any legally permitted method of slaughter to meet their customer needs, provided all relevant legislative and animal welfare requirements are met. There is no legal requirement for operators to seek approval from the FSA for a particular slaughter method. As a result, slaughterhouses may lawfully carry out stunned slaughter, non‑stunned slaughter, or a combination of both. The FSA does not record Official Veterinarian or Official Auxiliary time, associated costs, or enforcement activity by slaughter method. Consequently, the FSA does not hold data that would allow a direct comparison between stunned and non‑stunned slaughter in respect of supervision time, inspection or enforcement costs, or animal welfare non‑compliances. Data regarding the volume of meat resulting from animals slaughtered without stunning is not collected.
How many hours of Official Veterinarian and Meat Hygiene Inspector time were spent supervising non‑stun slaughter in each of the last five years; and what the cost of that time was.
Operators of Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouses may use any legally permitted method of slaughter to meet their customer needs, provided all relevant legislative and animal welfare requirements are met. There is no legal requirement for operators to seek approval from the FSA for a particular slaughter method. As a result, slaughterhouses may lawfully carry out stunned slaughter, non‑stunned slaughter, or a combination of both. The FSA does not record Official Veterinarian or Official Auxiliary time, associated costs, or enforcement activity by slaughter method. Consequently, the FSA does not hold data that would allow a direct comparison between stunned and non‑stunned slaughter in respect of supervision time, inspection or enforcement costs, or animal welfare non‑compliances. Data regarding the volume of meat resulting from animals slaughtered without stunning is not collected.
What has been the total cost to the public purse of the Gaza medical evacuation scheme for children.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2025 to Question 81587.
How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
In financial year 2024/25 there were 6,269 nights spent in hotels by Department staff. We are unable to provide the star ratings of the hotels associated with these stays, as this information is not captured by our service provider.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 107846 on GP Practice lists, how many and what proportion of patients registered on 1 January 2026 were foreign nationals.
The Department does not hold data regarding the number and proportion of National Health Service general practice registrations that were for people not born in the United Kingdom.
What proportion of asylum seekers registered with a GP have a date of birth recorded as 1 January.
Data on the number of asylum seekers registered with a general practice (GP) is not held centrally. Data on the number of patients registered at a GP in England is published on a monthly basis and can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/patients-registered-at-a-gp-practice
How many asylum seekers are registered with a GP by (a) day and (b) month of birth.
Data on the number of asylum seekers registered with a general practice (GP) is not held centrally. Data on the number of patients registered at a GP in England is published on a monthly basis and can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/patients-registered-at-a-gp-practice
How many people are currently registered with a GP.
Data on patients registered at a general practice in England is published on a monthly basis and can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/patients-registered-at-a-gp-practice
How many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.
While the Department employs civil servants whose roles include work on transgender policy, diversity, equality, and inclusion, there are currently no civil servants who work in roles primarily focused on all these areas. As such, the total annual salary cost is £0.