Written questions by Morrison.

What steps her Department is taking to improve GP (a) awareness and (b) understanding of (i) dementia and (ii) other neurodegenerative conditions.

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/The Dementia Care Pathway: Full implementation guidance emphasises the need to ensure that general practitioners are supported in providing dementia diagnosis with education and training programmes.There are also a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.The framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

What steps he is taking to support domestic recruitment and retention of dental nurses since the removal of the occupation from the Skilled Worker visa list in June 2024.

From 22 July 2025, changes to the United Kingdom’s immigration system increased the minimum skill threshold for the Skilled Worker visa to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6, which is degree level.The role of a dental nurse does not meet the new skills threshold of RQF level 6. However, dental nurses already in the Skilled Worker route, who have a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025, can continue to work and extend their visas as long as they meet occupation salary thresholds.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 outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

What estimate he has made of the number of overseas dental nurses who have been required to leave following the removal of the occupation from the Skilled Worker visa list in June 2024.

From 22 July 2025, changes to the United Kingdom’s immigration system increased the minimum skill threshold for the Skilled Worker visa to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6, which is degree level.The role of a dental nurse does not meet the new skills threshold of RQF level 6. However, dental nurses already in the Skilled Worker route, who have a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025, can continue to work and extend their visas as long as they meet occupation salary thresholds.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 outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

What steps he is taking to help prevent patients from being treated in (a) corridors, (b) converted office spaces, (c) gyms and (d) other places not designed for treatment ahead of winter 2025-26.

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to consign corridor care to the history books. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so patients can be treated with dignity. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care. We have been taking key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care board and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure there will be sufficient (a) GPs, (b) hospitals and (c) other healthcare facilities for the potential new town in Adlington, Cheshire East.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning health care services within their regions. This includes ensuring service providers are able to meet the reasonable needs of their patient population. Where necessary, ICBs can commission local enhanced services which can vary in scope and funding, to fit the needs of the patient population.We recognise the challenges facing areas of significant housing and population growth and the pressure that this can place upon local health infrastructure, including primary care.Local planning authorities are responsible for negotiating and agreeing developer contributions to support necessary associated infrastructure when new housing developments are built, including GP practices and primary care provision.The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better used towards local health services and infrastructure.

Whether his Department plans to establish a research hub to (a) coordinate research and (b) support early-career researchers working on ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between the 2019/20 and 2023/24 financial years the NIHR committed approximately £3.7 million to research projects and programmes on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The NIHR, alongside other Government research funders, remains committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for ME/CFS.Together with the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation, we are actively exploring next steps in ME/CFS research, as outlined in the ME/CFS final delivery plan. This includes a new funding opportunity for a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed pharmaceutical inventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including ME/CFS. This funding opportunity is one component of our approach to improve the evidence around the diagnosis, management, and treatment of post-acute infection conditions, including ME/CFS. We are also planning an NIHR and MRC hosted showcase event for post-acute infection conditions research, including ME/CFS and long COVID, later this year to stimulate further research in this field.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including post-acute infection conditions such as ME/CFS, and research funding is available. 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. Welcoming applications on ME/CFS and other post-acute infection conditions to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded. Establishing a research hub for ME/CFS would not provide the same level of flexibility. The NIHR Academy offers extensive support for early-career researchers through various fellowships, training awards, and mentoring structures. For instance, through the INSIGHT Programme, they work with universities to fund research masters studentships and attract students into research. Through Academic Clinical Fellowships, for doctors and dentists, and Predoctoral Academic Fellowships, for other health professionals, the NIHR Academy supports healthcare practitioners in integrating research with clinical practice.

How much funding his Department has allocated for Myalgic encephalomyelitis research in each of the last five years.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between the 2019/20 and 2023/24 financial years the NIHR committed approximately £3.7 million to research projects and programmes on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The NIHR, alongside other Government research funders, remains committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for ME/CFS.Together with the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation, we are actively exploring next steps in ME/CFS research, as outlined in the ME/CFS final delivery plan. This includes a new funding opportunity for a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed pharmaceutical inventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including ME/CFS. This funding opportunity is one component of our approach to improve the evidence around the diagnosis, management, and treatment of post-acute infection conditions, including ME/CFS. We are also planning an NIHR and MRC hosted showcase event for post-acute infection conditions research, including ME/CFS and long COVID, later this year to stimulate further research in this field.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including post-acute infection conditions such as ME/CFS, and research funding is available. 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. Welcoming applications on ME/CFS and other post-acute infection conditions to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded. Establishing a research hub for ME/CFS would not provide the same level of flexibility. The NIHR Academy offers extensive support for early-career researchers through various fellowships, training awards, and mentoring structures. For instance, through the INSIGHT Programme, they work with universities to fund research masters studentships and attract students into research. Through Academic Clinical Fellowships, for doctors and dentists, and Predoctoral Academic Fellowships, for other health professionals, the NIHR Academy supports healthcare practitioners in integrating research with clinical practice.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all NHS Trusts allow accompaniment in any meeting where disciplinary action or dismissal is a potential outcome.

It is a statutory requirement that all workers are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague or a trade union representative or official at any disciplinary hearing. This right applies to all National Health Service staff and is set out in the handbook to the NHS Constitution for England.Where the outcome of a hearing could result in the worker’s professional career being put at risk, they can request to be accompanied by a legal representative.

Whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the potential impact of Myalgic encephalomyelitis on the economy.

We recognise the negative impact that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has on patients and their loved ones, and also the cost to health and care services and the wider economy through, for example, loss of work and an increased benefits bill. We, therefore, recently published the ME/CFS final delivery plan, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.There are currently no plans to allocate new or ring-fenced funding specifically to support the implementation of the ME/CFS final delivery plan. However, we continue to commission research on ME/CFS services across the United Kingdom, focussing on the most severely affected. The plan includes increased funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, into how existing medicines can be used for post-viral conditions, including ME/CFS. Additionally, there are always opportunities for researchers to bid for and secure research funding for ME/CFS through our open research funding calls.

What discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) ICBs to help prevent NHS Trusts from operating outside (i) best practice guidelines, (ii) Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Codes, (iii) internal HR policies and (iv) not protecting their staff's (A) rights and (B) well-being.

All National Health Service trusts are independent employers who are required to comply with employment legislation and any relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes. Human resource policies and procedures are developed locally and should follow best practice guidance which may include model HR policies developed by NHS England and the national Social Partnership Forum’s Workforce Issues Group.The handbook to the NHS Constitution for England summarises some important legal rights for all employees and includes a range of best practice pledges which, although not legally binding, represent a commitment by the NHS to provide high-quality working environments for staff.As part of the 10 Year Health Plan, 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.

Whether his Department has considered implementing a humanitarian sponsorship or visa scheme for critically ill children from Gaza.

The United Kingdom continues to take additional immediate steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including working urgently to get some of the critically ill and injured children medically evacuated from Gaza. Further details about that process are set out in the Written Statement my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made on 1 September, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899The Government is not currently considering implementing a bespoke visa route for Palestinians fleeing Gaza to come to the UK. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available which allow a person to apply to work, study, settle, or join family in the UK.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Freedom to Speak Up mechanisms within NHS Trusts are (a) effective and (b) independent; and what procedures are in place for NHS Trusts that retaliate against staff who make protected disclosures.

The national Freedom to Speak Up policy, produced by NHS England, provides the minimum standard for local freedom to speak up policies across the National Health Service, so those who work in the NHS know how to speak up and what will happen when they do. This includes information on how to raise concerns internally, such as through the local Freedom to Speak Up Guardian network, as well to external bodies such as NHS England or the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care services in England.The Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended, gives employees protection against unfair dismissal and all workers a right not to be subject to any detriment in employment, on the basis that the worker has made a protected disclosure. Where this right is breached, employees and workers have a right to seek a remedy through an employment tribunal.The Government is also taking forward legislative change so that the Health and Care Professions Council can operate a barring mechanism for NHS board-level managers and their direct reports within this Parliament. This will help to ensure leaders are held professionally accountable for their work, just like their clinical colleagues.

What steps his Department is taking with (a) the World Health Organization and (b) other regional health partners to establish medical corridors for the treatment of critically ill children from Gaza.

I refer the Hon. Members to My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s Written Statement to the House on 1 September 2025, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899

Whether his department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) delays of over 12 months for diagnoses to secure medication and (b) temporary inability to work until that medication is secured on (i) the economy and (ii) the NHS.

We have not made such an assessment on the impact of delays to diagnoses to secure medication or on the impact of patients waiting for medication being out of work.It is a priority of the Government to bring down National Health Service waiting lists. As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Where clinically appropriate, treatment will include medication.Most patients will require one or more diagnostic test as part of their care. While most patients will receive a diagnostic test within weeks, there remain too many patients waiting in excess of six weeks. In June 2025, the period of the latest published data, 21.3% of patients waiting for a diagnostic test had been waiting for six weeks or more.One of the reasons it is so important we focus on bringing down waiting lists for patients to receive treatment they need, including medication, is to allow them to continue with their day-to-day activities and employment. The Joint Work and Health Directorate is collaborating with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to improve the evidence on the relationship between health and labour market outcomes.The ONS plans to link NHS waiting times data, to which they recently acquired access, to Census, Department for Work and Pensions Benefits and HM Revenue and Customs Pay As You Earn records to analyse the relationship between waiting time duration, for various health conditions and procedures, and labour market outcomes such as employment status, gross pay and benefit receipt in England. ONS will confirm in due course when related analysis will be made available.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for psychiatric diagnoses in Greater Manchester.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services.We are also delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.Responsibility for commissioning of mental health services sits with integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the role of local ICBs to consider what mental health services are needed for their populations and include the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups and local authorities.

Whether his Department has considered introducing temporary (a) medical visas and (b) emergency sponsorship routes for critically ill children from Gaza requiring urgent medical treatment in the UK.

I refer the Hon. Members to My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s Written Statement to the House on 1 September 2025, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of long-term (a) mental health and (b) trauma-informed support for (i) adult survivors of child sexual abuse and (ii) adult survivors of child sexual abuse who disclose as an adult.

Protecting and supporting child and adult victims and survivors of sexual abuse is a core priority for NHS England, delivered through a network of 48 specialist sexual assault referral centres across the country.NHS England has established local pathfinder projects for enhanced trauma-informed mental health support for sexual abuse victims and survivors with the most complex needs. There is now dedicated enhanced mental health support in five of the seven commissioning regions.NHS England is currently working in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the National Network of Designated Healthcare Professionals to refresh the paediatric elements of the current specification that sets out what care should be provided to survivors, alongside a parallel review of the adult specification. This will ensure both pathways deliver consistent, high-quality support and equitable access to services for all survivors, regardless of age.Furthermore, NHS Talking Therapies offer psychological and talking therapies approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, such as counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, for adults in England with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.Individuals experiencing these conditions, including victims of sexual violence and rape, can access these therapies via their general practitioner, or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service. Details on how to do so are available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies

What mechanisms exist at a national level to prevent the misuse of performance management tools within NHS Trusts.

All National Health Service trusts are independent employers and are required to comply with employment legislation and relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes. Local human resources (HR) policies and procedures should follow best practice guidance, which may include model HR policies developed nationally.At a national level, safeguards also exist to help prevent the misuse of performance management tools. The NHS Constitution commits employers to fair and supportive treatment of staff. The Care Quality Commission’s inspection framework includes workforce culture and governance, which can highlight poor practice. Every trust is required to have a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, giving staff a confidential route to raise concerns. The annual NHS Staff Survey provides transparency on staff experience and fairness, enabling action to be taken where concerns are identified.In 2025, NHS England also published the expectations of line managers in relation to people management, alongside the launch of the NHS Management and Leadership Programme to ensure that NHS leaders and managers at all levels meet the standards and competencies expected of them, have access to professional development and support, and that the NHS continues to attract, develop and retain the best talent while strengthening public confidence in NHS leadership.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on the effectiveness of its procedures for ensuring that (a) formal governance processes and (b) approved plans and programmes cannot be undermined by NHS senior leaders.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular meetings with NHS England to discuss the effectiveness of procedures to hold healthcare leaders accountable for delivering on the Government’s priorities.There are clear expectations for National Health Service senior leaders, aligned with the NHS Leadership Compact, the Fit and Proper Person Test Framework, and the Nolan Principles. NHS England addresses concerns about poor behaviours through established human resources and governance channels.On 21 July 2025, we set out plans to regulate NHS managers via a statutory barring system. We will take forward legislative changes so that the Health and Care Professions Council can operate a barring mechanism for NHS board-level managers and their direct reports within this Parliament.

What steps he plans to take to tackle the lack of advertised nursing vacancies through the 10 Year Plan.

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.NHS England is working with employers, universities, and regional nursing leads to ensure that support is in place to help graduating nurses find a role as soon as possible after qualification and transition into the workplace.Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.