Written questions by Raja.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for improvements to maternity wards in (a) Leicester East and (b) England.

NHS England’s Three-Year Delivery plan is investing an additional £35 million between 2024 and 2027 to improve maternity safety across England.University Hospital Leicester (UHL) remains determined to transform care for its growing population and radically upgrade its estate. As part of the New Hospitals Programme, UHL plans to build a new maternity hospital at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, alongside reorganising maternity and neonatal services. This includes improved facilities at Leicester General Hospital, with a midwife-led birthing unit. The trust is finalising new timelines and assessing the risks and mitigation of managing the current estate and service configuration.NHS England will publish the findings of the National Health Service maternity and neonatal estates survey, which examined compliance against the current estates’ standards, and it will be published at the earliest opportunity.

What steps his Department is taking to support women diagnosed with endometriosis in (a) Leicester and (b) the United Kingdom.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the care received by those suffering from gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.Women in Leicester experiencing symptoms of endometriosis should go to their general practitioner (GP) for an initial consultation. GPs across Leicester can refer women with suspected endometriosis to a local women’s health hub where available. There are three women’s health hubs in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, which are North-West Leicestershire Women’s Health Hub, Rutland Women’s Health Hub and The Willows Women’s Health Hub. GPs can also refer women to the endometriosis pathway, provided by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. There are also a range of local support groups available to patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.Health is a devolved matter. In England, we have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres. Women’s health hubs also have a key role in shifting care out of hospitals and reducing gynaecology waiting lists. Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published updated recommendations on the diagnosis, management and treatment of endometriosis. This is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

What steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment of domestic medical graduates from UK universities into the National Health Service.

Following completion of a medical degree, United Kingdom medical graduates must complete the Foundation Programme, a two-year work-based programme, to practise as a doctor in the National Health Service. We are committed to ensuring that the number of Foundation Programme places meets the demands of the NHS in the future.The Government is committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS. However, internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce.In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) support people seeking an official diagnosis of ADHD, (b) reduce wait times for an ADHD assessment and (c) continue access to the Right to Choose scheme.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.The Government is also committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of missed or cancelled appointments in the NHS as a result of strike action between (a) July - November 2023 and (b) July - November 2024.

NHS England publishes data on the number of rescheduled appointments due to industrial action, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/The following table shows the number of elective procedures, outpatient appointments, and community appointments that were rescheduled due to industrial action between July and November 2023 as well as the corresponding period in 2024:Time periodNumber of elective procedures that were rescheduledNumber of outpatient appointments that were rescheduledNumber of community appointments that were rescheduledTotal appointments that were rescheduledJuly 2023 to November 202360,974475,2833,991540,248July 2024 to November 20241,64319,5518621,280Source: NHS EnglandNote: some of these appointments would have been rescheduled to a date in the same time period.We are pleased that a deal was agreed last summer between the Government and the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee bringing an end to their prolonged strike action. The Government can now work with resident doctors to get on with its mission of fixing the health service for patients, including tackling waiting lists.As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We have already supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments, seven months ahead of schedule.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of NHS Dentist appointments in (a) Leicester East constituency, (b) Leicestershire and (c) England.

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 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 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.For Leicester East constituency and Leicester, this is NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025 and 10,137 appointments are expected to be commissioned in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB.

When his Department plans to renew pharmacy contracts following their expiry in March 2024; and if he will provide updated guidance on pharmacy funding following the Spring Budget.

As I have said in Parliament, the previous Government was unable to reach an agreement on the funding for community pharmacy ahead of the election. The existing contractual framework has remained in place and payments are made to contractors in accordance with those arrangements. The Government are currently in consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Whether his Department is taking steps to support University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in the context of that Trust declaring a critical incident on 9 October 2024 and standing down that critical incident on 10 October 2024; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the review of the New Hospital Programme on support for that Trust.

The Government recognises the pressures that the National Health Service is facing, as made clear in the recent independent report undertaken by Lord Darzi. The report, published on 12 September 2024, will inform the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan to reform the health service and ensure the NHS is fit for the future.The NHS’s operational pressures escalation levels (OPEL) framework provides a standardised approach to support an effective, integrated, and coordinated response to acute trust operational pressures. This includes the actions locally, regionally, and nationally that support the depressurising of services, and ensure patient safety. Further information about the OPEL framework is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PRN00551-OPEL-Framework-2023.24-V2.0.pdfThe new hospital scheme for this trust is included in a review of the New Hospital Programme. This review will ensure the scheme is put on a sustainable footing, including a realistic timetable for delivery, and clarity on the funding required.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of prohibiting outdoor smoking and vaping on the hospitality sector.

The Government will soon introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. The bill will put us on track to a smoke-free United Kingdom, helping to reduce 80,000 preventable deaths, reduce the burden on the National Health Service, and reduce the burden on the taxpayer. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had a range of discussions with ministers from other Government departments on the contents of the bill, including with my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Officials have also been in regular contact with counterparts across the Government during the development of the bill. More details will be set out soon.