Written questions by Slade.

Whether he plans to reopen the New to Partnership Payment Scheme to support healthcare professionals to become GP partners.

The Department has no current plans to reopen the New to Partnership Payment Scheme, which was launched by NHS England and ran from July 2020 to June 2023.We recognise that fewer general practitioners (GPs) are interested in going into partnership, and that the partnership model is not the only model currently delivering general practice. General practices can and do choose to organise themselves in different ways, many of which cite evidence of good outcomes in terms of staff engagement and patient experience.Reasons for GPs not wanting to take on a contractor role or moving back to a salaried role from a contractor role can vary and include concerns about workload and work/life balance, the personal financial risk involved or a lack of interest in aspects of the work, such as managing income and expenditure.Where the traditional GP partnership model is working well, it should continue, but through the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan we want to create an alternative that supports the neighbourhood health model, provides resilience and allows economies of scale, securing the sustainability of general practice into the future.We have committed to substantive GP contract reform within this Parliament following acceptance of the 2025/26 contract by the England general practitioners committee of the British Medical Association. As part of this, we expect to consider a breadth of topics, which may include updates to the partnership model.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of poverty on access to (a) minimally processed and (b) healthy food (i) for children and young people and (ii) in general.

Delivering on our commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for the Government, and the Ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce is working to publish the Child Poverty Strategy.Evidence suggests that in the long-term, food insecurity may be associated with poorer diets and poorer health, including higher risk of overweight and obesity. Further information on the evidence is available at the following link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6426124/The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ UK Food Security Report 2024, which pulls together data from a range of sources including the Department of Work and Pensions’ Family Resources Survey, found that 90% of United Kingdom households were food secure in 2022/23. Further information on the UK Food Security Report 2024 is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-theme-4-food-security-at-household-level#healthy-dietData from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey report shows that participants in higher income households, and households in less deprived areas, were closer to meeting some dietary recommendations. However, where diets failed to meet recommendations, this was consistent across the range of income and deprivation. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023-reportHealthy Start was introduced in 2006. It helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households, supporting the Government’s aim to create the healthiest generation of children in our history.Healthy Start is a demand-led, statutory scheme and aims to support those in greatest need. We recently announced in Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan that we will uplift the value of weekly payments by 10%, boosting the ability to buy healthy food for those families who need it most. From April 2026, pregnant women and children aged over one years old and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.Through the Food Strategy, the Government is also transforming the food system in the UK to make good, healthy food more accessible and affordable, as part of the Government's Plan for Change.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2025 to Question 18835 on Pharmacy and with reference to the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework: 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026, published on 31 March 2025, whether he plans to respond to the consultation entitled Pharmacy supervision; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changing the policy requiring a pharmacist to be present for bagged medication to be handed over on pharmacy costs.

The Government will shortly publish its response to the public consultation entitled Pharmacy Supervision. An impact assessment will be published alongside draft legislation, on the legislation.GOV.UK website, at the following link:www.legislation.gov.uk

If his Department will take steps with the Food Standards Agency to (a) review the standards for baby food products and (b) ensure that those standards are updated to include (i) new baby foods made available in the last 20 years, (ii) a limit on the total sugar content of baby foods and (iii) standards for health claims made by manufacturers on baby food packaging.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that the ingredients used in commercial baby food are suitable for the nutritional needs of infants and require businesses to ensure that labelling in clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of dispensing GPs matching the terms of the drug reimbursement agreement in place for pharmacies.

Dispensing doctors are reimbursed in line with the Statement of Financial Entitlement Directions, which sets out the reimbursements general practices (GPs), including dispensing GPs, are entitled to.Dispensing practices receive a dispensing fee, approximately £2.00 to £2.30 per item, which is intended to cover dispensing costs. This fee is calculated based on forecasted volumes of prescriptions to be dispensed and the size of the funding envelope, according to a methodology agreed by the Department, the GP committee of the British Medical Association (BMA), NHS Employers, and the Welsh administration. An updated methodology was agreed between the BMA and NHS England to address the issue of continuing fluctuation between over and underspend year on year, the alternating pattern of over and under spends, and was implemented in October 2023.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for dispensing GPs to offer electronic prescribing.

Following its launch in 2005, the Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS) is now used in more than 96% of general practices (GPs). While GP IT services and funding do not cover dispensing services provided by dispensing doctors, EPS is used in prescribing and dispensing, so currently a dispensing doctor practice will receive funding for the prescribing element of its EPS systems but not the dispensing element.Dispensing practices receive a dispensing fee, approximately £2.00 to £2.30 per item, which is intended to cover dispensing costs. This fee is calculated based on the forecasted volumes of prescriptions to be dispensed and the size of the funding envelope, according to a methodology agreed by the Department, the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association, NHS Employers, and the Welsh administration.

Whether his Department is taking steps with the Food Standards Agency to align the labelling of early-weaning baby food sold as suitable for babies aged four months and older with NHS guidance on introducing solid foods to babies from six months old.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life. Government dietary advice is that babies should be introduced to a healthy and varied diet, alongside their usual breast milk or first infant formula, when they are approximately six months old. This advice is communicated on the Start for Life and the NHS.UK websites, and we recommend businesses follow this advice when labelling products. Manufacturers are aware of this dietary advice and many already state six months on their products or have made a commitment to do so soon. The Department is responsible for legislation and policy on foods for infants and young children. Regulations set minimum standards for nutrition, composition, and labelling for commercial baby food, and we challenge industry to act responsibly and take voluntary action to align products with dietary guidelines and best practice. We continue to keep regulations for commercial baby food under review against the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

What steps he is taking to (a) include support for adults with autism and (b) help support (i) Integrated Care Boards and (ii) local hospital trusts with supporting adults with autism through the NHS 10 year plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to supporting people with a range of conditions such as autism, in all parts of the country.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the funding made available to ICBs for primary care can be used by GP surgeries to develop plans for premises improvement that will extend beyond the financial year in which an application is submitted.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future and recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments to ensure we have world class infrastructure across the entire NHS estate.At a local level, the relevant integrated care board is responsible for deciding how the NHS budget for its area is spent and for allocating funding according to local priorities, such as new general practice (GP) surgeries or integrated care centres/neighbourhood hubs.At the Autumn Budget, we established a dedicated capital fund of £102 million to deliver approximately 200 upgrade schemes to GP surgeries across England, supporting the improved use of existing buildings and space, boosting productivity, and enabling delivery of more appointments. This funding represents a first step in delivering the additional capital the primary care sector needs.Further support for NHS organisations delivering local and national priorities beyond this financial year is being considered in the 10-Year Health Plan and as part of phase 2 of the Spending Review.

With reference to the NHS's 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, what steps his Department is taking to include health infrastructure planning decisions in the scope of the commitment to streamline planning.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future. This means we need to see world class NHS infrastructure across the entire NHS estate. Beyond hospitals, we know we need the right infrastructure in the right place to deliver a true Neighbourhood Health Service and to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve. The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government on how to extend our collective interactions in the planning process, from local plan making to negotiating developer contributions, through updates to national guidance. This is alongside our support for the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government’s efforts to streamline the planning process, by extensively feeding into the ways in which health infrastructure plans can facilitate this.

What steps his Department plans to take to help retain alternatives to digital booking systems for GP appointments for those that cannot access online systems.

We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice.The 2025/26 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours. In addition to improving online access, this will help free up phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.

If his Department will take steps to accelerate the NHS employment at appropriate grades of doctors trained in (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand.

National Health Service employers work at a local level to ensure they have the workforce they need, which includes making decisions about recruiting internationally educated doctors.The Health and Care Worker visa offers a reduced visa fee, faster processing times, and an exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge to eligible overseas health and social care workers who wish to work in the United Kingdom, including doctors.All doctors wishing to practise in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and hold a licence to practise. The GMC is statutorily independent of the Government and sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to its register. This ensures that registrants are safe to practise and that patients receive a high standard of care. Information on the process for joining the GMC’s register and tailored support for international applicants can be found on the GMC’s website.

What steps he is taking to recruit NHS staff from UK citizens who obtained their medical qualification outside of the UK.

There is no central programme to recruit United Kingdom citizens who have obtained their medical qualification outside the UK into the National Health Service. NHS employers work at a local level to ensure they have the workforce they need, which includes making decisions about recruiting internationally educated doctors and determining the support they may require.All medical practitioners wishing to practise in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and hold a licence to practise. The GMC is statutorily independent of Government and sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to its register. This ensures registrants are safe to practise and that patients receive a high standard of care. Information on the process for joining the GMC’s register and tailored support for international applicants can be found on its website.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of making people with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome automatically eligible for IVF treatment.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines set out the best practice for the National Health Service to follow for those suffering from clinical infertility. It is for integrated care boards to make local decisions about the services for their local population, taking account of NICE guidelines.Individuals with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome do not have wombs but can form their families through surrogacy arrangements, which are not currently included in NICE fertility guidelines. The collection and storage of eggs is covered by NICE fertility guidelines but currently only for those being treated for cancer. The guidelines are currently under review and expected to be published later in 2025.

If his Department will offer provisionally registered status to overseas-qualified dentists.

In 2024, the Department carried out a consultation on introducing legislation that would give the General Dental Council (GDC) powers to provisionally register overseas-qualified dentists who have not yet met the GDC’s requirements for full registration. Dentists that meet our high standards should be able to enter the workforce efficiently.Further information on the consultation is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/provisional-registration-for-overseas-qualified-dentistsWe are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions and we are considering whether to proceed with the proposal to introduce provisional registration. Our position on this proposal will be set out in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact on (a) cashflow, (b) income and (c) patient access to medication of practices of receiving re-imbursement monthly rather than quarterly for each prescription submitted.

Contractors are already paid monthly. The full payment timetable for community pharmacy contractors is detailed in Clause 5C Part I of the Drug Tariff, and on the Schedule of Payments that contractors receive each month.In 2021, in recognition of the improved automation of the claims process, the timing of the advanced payment was brought forward by 20 days to improve cash flow.Contractors receive an advance payment early in the month. This covers an estimate of the full income from claims submitted for the previous month. A reconciliation payment follows two months later, when all the claims have been fully processed.

If he will take steps to allow optometrists to share scan data directly with consultants, in the context of patient waiting times.

NHS England is testing how improving digital connectivity between primary care optometry and secondary care will allow optometrists to share diagnostic images and receive advice and guidance from specialists. This will enable more patients to be managed in the community, reducing the need for patients to be referred, and for those needing a referral to the hospital eye service, this could reduce the need for repeat diagnostics.This approach aims to free up secondary eye care capacity and improve clinic efficiency, so specialists can prioritise patients needing specialist input on ophthalmology waiting lists.

Whether he plans to respond to the consultation entitled Pharmacy supervision which closed on 29 February 2024.

A previous consultation on pharmacy supervision was published earlier this year. The Government and devolved administrations will set out plans for the policy when it responds to that consultation, in due course.

If he will reinstate the availability of medications previously available on prescription for (a) households on low incomes and (b) pensioners so that they are free of charge.

There are currently no plans to review the list of items that formed part of the NHS England review into medicines that cannot be routinely supplied. Prescribers are free to make their own decisions on which medicines to prescribe, unless they are banned or restricted, and are held accountable for their prescribing decisions by their employer, and professional regulator. A range of prescription charge exemptions are already in place to help people on low incomes and those aged 60 years old and over.

Whether his Department plans to review the list of conditions eligible for free prescriptions by working age people.

There are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate to exempt people from the prescription charge. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with the greatest need may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.