Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 267 · Department of Health and Social Care
How many e-RS communications were sent to category F patients in each of the last five years.
The information requested is not available. The term "Category F patient" is not a classification used within the National Health Service e-Referral Service (e-RS) for patient status or priority.
What the breakdown was of Category F patients treated by the NHS by nationality in each of the last five years.
The Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Guidance on identifying category F patients is available in the Guidance for Charging Overseas Visitors in England for Providers of NHS services, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-cost-recovery-overseas-visitors/charging-overseas-visitors-in-england-guidance-for-providers-of-nhs-services
How many complaints the NHS has received on language issues in each of the last five years.
Data on written complaints in the National Health Service is published annually and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/data-on-written-complaints-in-the-nhsThe data collection is a count of written complaints made by, or on behalf of, patients. It does not include a category specifically on complaints involving language issues.
How much his Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.
The specific information breakdown requested is commercially confidential.However, significant payments to companies, £25,000 and over, are published by month as part of the Department’s transparency data. This information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/spending-over-25-000--2
How many staff have been recruited from overseas into Digital, Data and Technology roles within the NHS Business Services Authority since January 2023.
Since January 2023, a total of 68 staff were recruited from overseas into Digital, Data and Technology roles, sponsored by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) on a visa.The Digital, Data and Technology roles at the NHS BSA that were filled by overseas recruits since January 2023 were advertised on the NHS Jobs website, rather than the Civil Service Jobs portal, prior to appointment.
Whether Digital, Data and Technology roles at the NHS Business Services Authority filled by overseas recruits since January 2023 were advertised on the (a) NHS Jobs website and (b) Civil Service Jobs portal prior to appointment.
Since January 2023, a total of 68 staff were recruited from overseas into Digital, Data and Technology roles, sponsored by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) on a visa.The Digital, Data and Technology roles at the NHS BSA that were filled by overseas recruits since January 2023 were advertised on the NHS Jobs website, rather than the Civil Service Jobs portal, prior to appointment.
Whether his Department has issued (a) a national strategy and (b) guidance for NHS trusts on genetic disorders linked to consanguinity.
Genomic testing is delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and guided by the National Genomic Test Directory, which outlines the eligibility criteria for genomic testing based on specific clinical indications. These eligibility criteria support clinicians to decide whether genetic testing is appropriate, including in cases where genetic disorders may be linked to consanguinity. In addition, through the Genetic Risk Equity Project, NHS England is piloting and evaluating new models of care in nine sites to improve equity of access to genetic services for the small proportion of consanguineous couples at increased genetic risk. NHS England has published training modules about close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, as well as guidance on how to submit data around consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset.
Which local authorities have (a) received and (b) are housing (i) individuals and (ii) families evacuated from Gaza.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement HCWS899 made to the House on 1 September 2025 by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. As of 28 October 2025, four groups of patients have now arrived. The safety, privacy, and wellbeing of these severely ill and vulnerable patients and their families remains our absolute priority. We will not be providing further operational details, including their whereabouts, at this stage.
What funding his Department has made available to local authorities for (a) housing (b) other support to Gazan evacuees.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is funding local authorities, in the form of an accommodation tariff, so they can provide suitable accommodation for families from Gaza for up to two years in England.The Department of Health and Social Care is providing local authorities a fixed flat-rate tariff to fund wraparound services to families. Local authorities are also able to claim additional funding to cover exceptional adult social care, children’s social care, and educational costs.
What information his Department holds on abortion rates for (a) male and (b) female babies after 20 weeks by ethnicity.
In accordance with the Abortion Act 1967, registered medical practitioners must notify the Chief Medical Officer of abortions within 14 days. The Department collects information on abortions via the HSA4 abortion notification form. The form does not capture information on abortion rates by sex of the foetus, and so the Department does not hold this information.
What information his Department holds on the number of Safe Surgeries held by GPs in each of the last five years.
The Department does not hold information regarding the number of Safe Surgeries.GPs are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public, and as independent businesses, it is for each practice to decide whether to register as a Safe Surgery.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October to Question 81590 on Medical Treatments: Gaza, what wraparound support is offered through the Gaza injured children scheme.
Local authorities are responsible for delivering the wraparound services required to support the patients and their immediate family travelling with them from Gaza to settle in England.This includes providing support upon arrival, urgent health treatment, accommodation near treatment locations, school placements, essential items for the children, community integration support, casework assistance for accessing health and financial services, mental health support, and workforce entry assistance where feasible.The Government will provide funding to local authorities for delivery of these wraparound services.
What has been the 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 NHS staff there are whose responsibilities include addressing genetic disorders associated with consanguinity.
The National Health Service in England supports patients with a variety of conditions related to genetics. NHS England is piloting and evaluating new models of care to improve the equity of access to genetic services for the small proportion of couples at increased genetic risk due to close relative marriage. NHS England is funding additional capacity in several professions, including midwifery, genomics associates, and neonatal nurses, in nine pilot sites through the Genetic Risk Equity Project. 3.8 whole time equivalent (WTE) midwives and one WTE neonatal nurse were in post in 2024/25 to deliver the Genetic Risk Equity Project.
How many slaughterhouses were (a) suspended and (b) permanently closed due to breaches of animal welfare regulations in each calendar year from 2015 to 2025; how many (i) improvement notices, (ii) formal warnings, (iii) prosecutions and (iv) other enforcement actions were issued to slaughterhouses for animal welfare breaches in each of those years; and how many site inspections were carried out by the Food Standards Agency in each year over the same period.
In 2015, two slaughterhouses had approval withdrawn. In 2016, one slaughterhouse had approval withdrawn. In 2017, one slaughterhouse had approval withdrawn and two had approval suspended.The reasons for the withdrawals and suspensions between 2015 and 2017 are no longer retained. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) retains approval documents of establishments for up to six years beyond their closure.In 2020, one slaughterhouse had approval suspended for welfare concerns. In 2025, two slaughterhouses had approval withdrawn for non-compliances, which included welfare concerns.The following table shows the number of formal warnings issued to business operators and plant operatives following investigation by the FSA into alleged animal welfare offences at approved slaughterhouses, from 2015 to 2024:YearFormal warning to business operatorFormal warning to plant operatives201520201611201776201832201955202010202111202210202300202400 In addition, the following table shows the number of prosecution cases and the number of business operators and plant operatives convicted following investigations undertaken by the FSA into alleged animal welfare offences at approved slaughterhouses, from 2015 to 2024:YearProsecution casesBusiness operators convictedPlant operatives convicted2015000201643220172202018317201911420201012021316202242220234382024433 Improvement notices and other enforcement action over the 10 year period is included in open data published quarterly by the FSA, and available at the following link:https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/92ee0c84-d680-400c-a560-94a3a1a100a6/animal-welfare-enforcement-non-complianceThe FSA has a presence at every site during processing hours. To complement the inspections carried out by official veterinarians and veterinary auditors, the Welfare Assurance Team carries out welfare-themed inspections across all operating plants in England and Wales. Similar to the veterinary auditors, the frequency of these inspections depends upon the previous inspection outcome. It is not possible to confirm how many site inspections were undertaken specifically on animal welfare grounds over this period.
Whether any NHS Trusts (a) employ specialist staff or (b) operate dedicated services to address genetic disorders associated with consanguinity.
The National Health Service in England supports patients with a variety of conditions related to genetics. NHS England is piloting and evaluating new models of care to improve the equity of access to genetic services for the small proportion of couples at increased genetic risk due to close relative marriage. NHS England is funding additional capacity in several professions, including midwifery, genomics associates, and neonatal nurses, in nine pilot sites through the Genetic Risk Equity Project. 3.8 whole time equivalent (WTE) midwives and one WTE neonatal nurse were in post in 2024/25 to deliver the Genetic Risk Equity Project.
How many yellow card reports there have been on covid-19 vaccines.
The number of Yellow Card reports received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for COVID-19 vaccines can be found in the Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles on the Yellow Card website, which is available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idapsThe Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles contain complete listings of suspected adverse reactions for all medicines and vaccines reported through the scheme. On this platform, individuals can search for the specified vaccine of interest in order to find data displayed in graphs and tables, which include information such as patient age, sex and ethnicity. The number of reports for each vaccine of interest is provided on the “Overview” tab of the profile. As the data does not necessarily refer to proven side effects, individuals should refer to the product information for details on the possible side effects, with further information available at the following link:https://www.medicines.org.uk/emcWhen considering spontaneous data for medicinal products, it is important to be aware that a reported reaction has not necessarily been caused by the vaccine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have been. Each year, millions of doses of routine vaccinations are given in the United Kingdom alone, and when any vaccine is administered to large numbers of people, some recipients will inevitably experience illness following vaccination. The fact that symptoms occur after the use of a vaccine or medicine, and are reported via the Yellow Card scheme, does not in itself mean that they are proven to have been caused by it. Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, and such events can also be coincidental. It is also important to note that the number of reports received via the Yellow Card scheme does not directly equate to the number of people who suffer adverse reactions, and therefore the reports cannot be used to determine the incidence of a reaction. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting rates are influenced by the seriousness of the ADRs, their ease of recognition, and the extent of the use of a particular vaccine. They may also be stimulated by awareness and publicity about a vaccine. Reporting tends to be highest for newly introduced medicines during the first one to two years on the market, and then falls over time.
What the (a) cost for translation of and (b) percentage of communications in each language in e-RS communication letters was so far this year.
NHS England only incurs costs for changes to templates or when new languages are added. Therefore, the primary cost is associated with template updates, not per-letter translation. No changes have been made to templates in 2025, nor have additional languages been added, so no costs for translation have been incurred.There are no additional variable costs for providing a translated letter, as an English language version of the letter would be sent instead. The following table shows the total number of e-RS letters as well as the proportion of these letters that were translated, sorted by the language they were translated to, for 2024/25 and for 2025/26 to date: 2024/252025/26Total e-RS letters1,066,650402,685Arabic0.64%0.57%Bengali0.82%0.74%Gujarati0.29%0.30%Kurdish0.21%0.18%Persian0.22%0.20%Polish0.75%0.73%Punjabi0.50%0.45%Somali0.26%0.22%Turkish0.36%0.35%Urdu1.35%1.27%Albanian0.15%0.13%Chinese0.06%0.06%French0.17%0.15%Greek0.08%0.08%Hindi0.17%0.15%Hungarian0.09%0.09%Italian0.18%0.16%Lithuanian0.12%0.10%Portuguese0.32%0.30%Romanian0.48%0.44%Russian0.16%0.17%Slovak0.15%0.13%Spanish0.30%0.26%Tamil0.24%0.18%Wolof0.00%0.01%Total translated8.05%7.44%
How many and what proportion of NHS staff were non-patient facing in each of the last ten years.
The following table shows the number and percentage of the full time equivalent (FTE) workforce employed by National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England that are in NHS infrastructure support roles, which represents a proxy for non-patient facing roles, as of each July from 2015 to 2025: Total staffNHS infrastructure support staffPercentage of staff who are in infrastructure supportJuly 20151,005,767156,83915.6%July 20161,027,898160,97815.7%July 20171,046,828165,25215.8%July 20181,065,395169,34815.9%July 20191,099,144177,90316.2%July 20201,166,566184,14915.8%July 20211,195,405193,64316.2%July 20221,225,470202,37616.5%July 20231,292,820214,19216.6%July 20241,346,030219,30616.3%July 20251,372,429218,96216.0%Source: the data can be found in the file titled “Preliminary - NHS HCHS Workforce Statistics, Trusts and core organisations - data tables” from worksheet one of the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service Monthly Workforce Statistics, published by NHS England, and available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsNotes:the NHS infrastructure support staffing group includes staff defined as managers, senior managers, non-patient facing clerical/administrative staff, and maintenance/works staff;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, while 0.5 would indicate that they worked half time; andthese data relate to the Hospital and Community Health Service workforce directly employed in NHS trusts and other core organisations, for instance integrated care boards for the latest data point, who are paid.
How many applications were made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in each of the last three years; and how many and what proportion of those applications were unsuccessful.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) regularly publishes data on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme to improve transparency. Information related to COVID-19 vaccine claim volumes and outcomes up to June 2025 is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19Claims that have not been assessed may have been rejected before a medical assessment took place as they did not meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. Other claims are still live, but the NHS BSA may be awaiting medical records. Medical assessments cannot take place until sufficient medical records have been received to allow for a robust assessment.