Written questions by Hayes.

What steps he is taking to improve staff retention in NHS midwifery services.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals, including midwives.To support this ambition, the Government plans to introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention by tackling the issues that matter to staff, including promoting flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture that embeds retention.NHS England is already leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the international labour supply of midwives on the (a) training and (b) employment of British midwives.

The Government is committed to developing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS. Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition—enhancing conditions for all staff, while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

How many and what proportion of employed midwives required a work visa in each of the last ten years.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the information requested.However, data published by the Home Office on grants of Health and Social Care Worker visas to midwives shows 606 grants in total during 2023 but a significant reduction in recent quarters. Only 18 grants were issued in the latest data for the three months to June 2025. Data up to March 2024 can be found in the spreadsheet ‘Sponsored work entry clearance visas by occupation and industry (SOC 2010), year ending March 2024’, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. Data for the last three quarters can be found in the following spreadsheet ‘Sponsored work entry clearance visas by occupation and industry (SOC 2020), year ending June 2025’, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. Not all of those with Health and Social Care visas will be sponsored by NHS providers in England.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the retention rate amongst NHS midwives.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals, including midwives.To support this ambition, the Government plans to introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention by tackling the issues that matter to staff, including promoting flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture that embeds retention.NHS England is already leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

What estimate he has made of the employment rate amongst midwifery graduates since 1 January 2023.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

What proportion of newly employed midwives secured employment with their preferred NHS trust since 1 January 2023.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

What proportion of newly employed midwives found employment within 20 miles of their home address since 2023.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

What estimate he has made of levels of long-term sickness amongst NHS staff.

NHS England publishes monthly data on sickness absence rates for staff working in the National Health Service. This is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-ratesHowever, data on the duration of the absence is not available.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, Staff Treatment Hubs will be rolled out to ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health. This will include support for mental health and back conditions which are the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS.The commitment to Staff Treatment Hubs draws on various evidence sources including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our NHS staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services.We will also work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the labour supply of trained midwives.

No specific assessment has been made but later this year we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, enhancing conditions for all NHS staff.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of demand for NHS maternity services.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England monitor trends in demand for maternity services using a number of different data sources. Demand is primarily driven by the number of women giving birth, as well as the type and complexity of the care that they and their babies need. The number of births in England has been trending downwards for over a decade, with there being 545,149 deliveries in National Health Service hospitals in 2023/24, 19% lower than the peak of 671,255 in 2012/13. While the number of women giving birth has decreased in recent years, an increasing proportion of women are giving birth for the first time, have pre-existing health conditions, or are developing pregnancy-related complications.The Office for National Statistics predicts that births in England will increase to approximately 590,000 births per year by 2030, based on 2022-based population projections. This, and increases in the average number of admissions and appointments for each woman who gave birth in recent years, could indicate that demand on maternity services is expected to rise.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of care home fees on self-funding residents.

The majority of care homes are in the independent sector and are free to set their fees as they see fit. The Department does not have the powers to set or recommend the level of fees that a private care home can charge, as this is a commercial decision for a care provider. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers. We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care, including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the impact of care costs for self funding care home residents.

The majority of care homes are in the independent sector and are free to set their fees as they see fit. The Department does not have the powers to set or recommend the level of fees that a private care home can charge, as this is a commercial decision for a care provider. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers. We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care, including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

When next year he expects Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB to report on the first phase of her independent commission into adult social care.

The independent commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, has begun its work on how to build a social care system fit for the future, and will first report in 2026.The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey therefore has the autonomy to decide when in 2026 she reports on the first phase. Work implementing the commission’s recommendations will then be able to begin following publication.

What steps his Department is taking to support research into the health needs of trans young people.

In line with the findings of the recent Cass Review, the Government is committed to supporting the development of research that delivers a robust, evidence-based understanding of gender dysphoria and transgender issues, especially where these issues relate to children and young people. The programme of research includes investments in research capacity to enable National Health Service clinicians to dedicate time to research and ongoing service evaluation, and a living systematic review that will provide a regularly updated review of the latest international evidence to inform policy and frontline and clinical practice. These may produce new evidence to help safeguard and improve the health of children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria.The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research, welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including research into the health needs of young people. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

What steps he is taking to improve residents' mental health in coastal communities.

We know that too many people living and working in coastal communities are not receiving the mental health care and support they need.The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support, at the right time. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to approximately 85. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment.  In addition, the Government is committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.

What steps he is taking to improve mental health outcomes in coastal communities.

We know that too many people living and working in coastal communities are not receiving the mental health care and support they need.The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support, at the right time. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to approximately 85. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment.  In addition, the Government is committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.

What steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities in coastal communities.

The Chief Medical Officer, in his 2023 Annual Report, made clear that future health and care needs will vary significantly, with the populations of rural, semi-rural, and coastal areas more likely to experience worse health outcomes.In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government commits to reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas by tackling health inequalities and the social determinants of health.The Department will address under performance in areas with the worst health outcomes, including coastal communities, where access is often poor. National Health Service regions are compiling action plans for each provider in these areas to begin improvements.

What steps his Department is taking to increase retention rates for domestically trained NHS (a) doctors and (b) other clinical staff.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan this autumn setting out how we will ensure staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and have hope for the future, so they can achieve more. We will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace. We have made significant progress over the past year in improving the working lives of resident doctors. This includes agreeing to an improved exception reporting system which will ensure doctors are compensated fairly for the additional work that they do, and reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training.NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Institute for Fiscal Studies' report entitled The short- and medium-term effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes, published in May 2025.

We are committed to giving every child the best start in life and recognise the importance of early years services as essential for future health and education outcomes. The findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies' report showed that Sure Start generated widespread, long-lasting benefits on children’s outcomes.Building on lessons from Sure Start, the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme provides joined-up support for babies, children, and families. As a first step, the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme has been extended in 2025/26, with £126 million being made available for families to deliver on the Plan for Change.We will consider the findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies as we continue to develop our approach to the future of support for babies, children, and their families.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the Cass Review on trans people under the age of 18.

The Government is committed to implementing the Cass Review in full to ensure that children and young people get the safe and holistic care they need.NHS England closed the Gender Identity Development Service on 31 March 2024 and opened new, regional southern and northern services on 1 April 2024, operating under a new delivery model headed up by a multi-disciplinary team. A third clinic opened in Bristol on 4 November 2024. These services have started taking patients off the national waiting list. NHS England has committed to a further three services by 2026.