Written questions by Bhatti.

What discussions his Department has had with NHS England and NHS workforce framework providers on ensuring compliant payroll practices within the agency staffing supply chains for the NHS.

The Department, alongside NHS England, collaborates with framework providers like the NHS Workforce Alliance and HealthTrust Europe to ensure compliant payroll practices. Key actions include mandatory auditing, IR35 compliance, adherence to National Health Service employment checks, and enforcing agency price caps.NHS England continues to monitor agency spending and works to reduce reliance on off-framework staffing, which is crucial for compliant, high quality, and cost-effective staffing.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a national redress scheme for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue, and the Government's priority is to ensure that any response is fair, balanced and sensitive to those affected.The Department is carefully considering the recommendations within the Hughes Report, including the merits of any potential redress scheme, in collaboration with relevant departments, and we aim to provide an update in due course.

What national policy interventions are being developed to help reduce abusive incidents against emergency ambulance workers.

Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work, including ambulance workers. At a national level there are several policy interventions being implemented and developed to help prevent and reduce violence against NHS staff.In April 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced that the Social Partnership Forum’s recommendations on tackling and reducing violence, part of the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal, had been accepted in full. This includes measures to improve data and reporting, strengthen risk assessment, and improve training and support for victims. This will be bolstered by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan. The standards will be included in the NHS Oversight Framework and act as an early warning signal for the Care Quality Commission.

When he plans to respond to the Hughes Report.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East on 5 March 2026 to Question 115057.

What policy areas are in the scope of the upcoming acquired brain injury action plan.

We expect to publish the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan in the first half of 2026. This will allow time to ensure the plan is in line with our 10-Year Health Plan and is robust, action-oriented, and reflects emerging priorities across health, social care, and other relevant sectors.The plan is designed to take a cross-Government approach and will cover several key areas to improve outcomes for people living with ABI. We are working with Government departments with responsibility for education, justice, housing and homelessness, work and benefits, transport, sport, and defence on the plan.The plan will ensure more consistent and comprehensive data gathering, alongside better mechanisms for sharing and accessing information. These improvements will support integrated care, inform commissioning decisions, and strengthen evidence-based policy development.

When his Department will publish the Acquired Brain Injury Action plan.

We expect to publish the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan in the first half of 2026. This will allow time to ensure the plan is in line with our 10-Year Health Plan and is robust, action-oriented, and reflects emerging priorities across health, social care, and other relevant sectors.The plan is designed to take a cross-Government approach and will cover several key areas to improve outcomes for people living with ABI. We are working with Government departments with responsibility for education, justice, housing and homelessness, work and benefits, transport, sport, and defence on the plan.The plan will ensure more consistent and comprehensive data gathering, alongside better mechanisms for sharing and accessing information. These improvements will support integrated care, inform commissioning decisions, and strengthen evidence-based policy development.

How the Government’s upcoming Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan will improve data recording and data access relating to brain injury survivors.

We expect to publish the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan in the first half of 2026. This will allow time to ensure the plan is in line with our 10-Year Health Plan and is robust, action-oriented, and reflects emerging priorities across health, social care, and other relevant sectors.The plan is designed to take a cross-Government approach and will cover several key areas to improve outcomes for people living with ABI. We are working with Government departments with responsibility for education, justice, housing and homelessness, work and benefits, transport, sport, and defence on the plan.The plan will ensure more consistent and comprehensive data gathering, alongside better mechanisms for sharing and accessing information. These improvements will support integrated care, inform commissioning decisions, and strengthen evidence-based policy development.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of excluding (a) general practitioners and (b) other frontline medical staff from the covid-19 booster vaccination programme in autumn 2025 on (i) patient safety and (ii) workforce resilience; if he will take steps to amend the eligibility criteria.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI has advised that COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since it first emerged. The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025, and in line with this, in autumn 2025 a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over.In line with JCVI advice, frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) and staff working in care homes for older adults are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the national programme for autumn 2025. This is following an extensive review by JCVI of the scientific evidence surrounding the impact of vaccination on the transmission of the virus from HSCWs to patients, protection of HSCWs against symptoms of the disease, and staff sickness absences.In the current era of high population immunity to COVID-19, additional COVID-19 doses provide very limited, if any, protection against infection and any subsequent onward transmission of infection. For HSCWs, this means that COVID-19 vaccination likely now has only a very limited impact on patient safety and reducing staff sickness absence. Therefore, the focus of the programme is on those at greatest risk of serious disease and who are, as a consequence, most likely to continue to benefit from vaccination.Any HSCW who is otherwise eligible, because of their age or due to immunosuppression, is encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.The Government has accepted JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme and has no plans to review eligibility for this campaign. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Whether his Department plans to ban alcohol advertising.

On 3 July 2025, the Department published Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, which outlines plans to introduce mandatory alcohol labelling, to increase awareness of harms and enable people to make healthier choices. It also commits to exploring expanding the ban on sales of alcohol products to children under 18 years old to include alcohol- free products, to protect young people. It further commits to continued expansion of Individual Placement and Support schemes for people with alcohol addiction to find good work. The Plan is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-futureThe Government is committed to building a National Health Service fit for the future, with a greater emphasis on the prevention of avoidable health harms, supporting people to live well for longer. We will continue to work across Government reduce the negative impact excessive alcohol consumption is having on health, crime and the economy.The Government has no plans to introduce a ban on alcohol advertising.

Whether he has undertaken a (a) call for evidence and (b) consultation to support the review of NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England.

The Review of Adult Gender Services is aiming to publish its report later this summer. NHS England and the Government will need time to consider the findings, advice, and recommendations before issuing their response.The review has examined records, including patient case notes, and conducted site visits at each of the nine adult gender dysphoria clinics in order to develop a detailed understanding of the operation and delivery of services within each clinic. Further information about how evidence was gathered is detailed in the published key lines of enquiry, at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/key-lines-of-enquiry-review-of-the-nhs-adult-gender-dysphoria-clinics-in-england/The review conducted focus groups with patients of the services, and detailed surveys for patients of the service, their friends and family, and for the clinicians delivering these services.

What his planned timetable is for the publication of the final report of the Review of the NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England; and if he will make an oral statement upon receipt.

The Review of Adult Gender Services is aiming to publish its report later this summer. NHS England and the Government will need time to consider the findings, advice, and recommendations before issuing their response.The review has examined records, including patient case notes, and conducted site visits at each of the nine adult gender dysphoria clinics in order to develop a detailed understanding of the operation and delivery of services within each clinic. Further information about how evidence was gathered is detailed in the published key lines of enquiry, at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/key-lines-of-enquiry-review-of-the-nhs-adult-gender-dysphoria-clinics-in-england/The review conducted focus groups with patients of the services, and detailed surveys for patients of the service, their friends and family, and for the clinicians delivering these services.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on the minimum age for treatment for gender dysphoria in the Cass Review, published in April 2024.

Last year, NHS England held a public consultation regarding an updated referral pathway policy for children and young people to access NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review.The public consultation was supported by a detailed Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment. A detailed report on the outcome of the consultation process, alongside guidance for secondary care health professionals, was published by NHS England on 7 August 2024.

How many children under the age of seven have been treated for gender dysphoria since 1 April 2024.

No children under the age of seven have been treated for gender dysphoria since 1 April 2024.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS follows guidance on the minimum age for gender dysphoria.

On 7 August 2024, NHS England published a new service specification that describes the pathway onto the waiting list for NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review. The service specification was agreed following a process of public consultation, respondents to which included medical bodies such as royal colleges of medicine. I would like to assure you that this service specification is followed by all commissioned providers of NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 50 per cent cut to Integrated Care Boards on Solihull Hospital.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services, and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure to achieve a 50% cost reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, where ICBs were tasked with developing plans by the end of May setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities.NHS England will work closely with the ICBs to ensure these changes do not compromise the quality of care or the statutory responsibilities of the ICBs, and to protect frontline staff from cuts. NHS England will be working closely with the ICBs to support the development of these plans, ensuring that their implementation reduces duplication and supports patient care. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/In his letter to the ICBs, Sir Jim Mackay committed to greater transparency and to moving back to a fair shares allocation policy over time. Currently, the Birmingham and Solihull ICB is 3.4% off its fair shares allocation targets, which includes specialised commissioning.

Whether Integrated Care Boards will receive extra funding to meet costs adjusted for population.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) receive funding allocations from NHS England to pay for the services they commission, and NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between ICBs. This process is independent of the Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, a group of academics and other experts.Most funding is allocated as non-ring-fenced budgets, informed by a calculation of what would constitute a ‘fair share’ of funding, taking account of population, age, need, deprivation, and health inequalities considerations. ICB allocations for 2025/26 were published on 30 January 2025. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/Core allocations are growing by 4.4%, which is higher than population growth, so ICBs are receiving extra funding, adjusted for the population compared to the year before.

When he plans to make an announcement on future running costs for integrated care boards.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services, and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure to achieve a 50% cost reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, where ICBs were tasked with developing plans by the end of May setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities.In his letter to ICBs, Sir Jim Mackay committed to greater transparency and moving back to a fair shares allocation policy over time. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/No plans for an announcement by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have been made.

If he will take steps to repurpose spending on (a) hospital care and (b) emergency admissions for people at the end of life into community care services.

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 patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and community palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.Funding provision for hospital care and community care services is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review, the outcome of which will be announced on 11 June.

Whether he has had recent discussions with palliative care providers on the adequacy of funding for (a) palliative and (b) other end-of-life care services.

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.In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones. In recognition of this, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care, and £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices.We, alongside key partners NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face.

What estimate his Department has made of the increase in the number of people that will need palliative care over the next 10 years.

Currently, approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that up to 90% of deaths could benefit from palliative and end of life care.The Office for National Statistics has projected that, by 2040, approximately 800,000 people a year will die in the UK. Also, current trends point to a growing proportion of people dying from chronic diseases, particularly cancer and dementia. Taking these considerations together, it has been estimated that the number of people needing palliative and end of life care could increase by 42% by 2040.We have committed to developing a 10-Year Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered, from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.