The arrangements between NHS England and independent sector providers are not expected to result in significant additional spending above normal Quarter 4 levels and can be funded from existing budgets. Therefore, there is no effect on Barnett consequentials. As there is no new funding for these short-term, 12-week contracts, this could not pay for additional healthcare professionals. The arrangements allow for the continuing delivery of elective care for National Health Service patients in England and the provision of ‘surge’ capacity to assist NHS hospitals in England with the impact of the Omicron variant, where required. Local NHS systems, in coordination with regional and national teams, will be responsible for these arrangements to effectively meet local needs. Due to this flexibility, we are unable to estimate how many people will be treated through these arrangements.

Statutory regulation should be used proportionately and only where risks to public and patient protection cannot be effectively addressed through other means of professional assurance. In 2017, the Department consulted on proposals to bring four medical associate professions into regulation:

- physician associate (PA);

- anaesthesia associate (AA);

- surgical care practitioner (SCP); and

- advanced critical care practitioner (ACCP).

In October 2018, we announced that PAs and AAs would be regulated but not SCPs or ACCPs. This is because training for SCPs and ACCPs is open to regulated healthcare professionals and therefore there is no direct entry route into these roles. Once trained, SCPs and ACCPs need to retain their base professional registration with their regulatory bodies in order to practise.

On 6 January 2022, we published a consultation on the criteria for determining when statutory regulation of a healthcare profession is appropriate.

The consultation will run for 12 weeks until 31 March 2022.

Whilst there is no legal requirement, all healthcare professions with prescribing responsibilities in the United Kingdom are regulated due to the high-risk nature of prescribing activities. Work to bring PAs into regulation is underway and the Department plans to consult on draft legislation later this year.

We are also working with the professions, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the devolved administrations and professional bodies to develop the case for extending appropriate prescribing responsibilities to PAs after regulation. Should the decision be made by the Commission on Human Medicines to extend prescribing responsibilities to the role, a separate legislative process would be required to implement this. This would be subject to a further public consultation.

The Department is not aware of any legislative reason why PAs cannot access advanced trauma training courses. Eligibility criteria for training courses is set by course providers. The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 require a profession to be regulated before it can request X-rays and ionising radiation. Registered healthcare professionals can then request these procedures as ‘non-medical referrers’ (NMRs) provided they have been entitled as an NMR by their employer and have undergone the appropriate training.

The Spending Review in 2020 provided £260 million to continue to increase the National Health Service workforce and support commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan. This included £52 million in 2021/22 for Health Education England to further invest in the cancer and diagnostics workforce and expanding the postgraduate medical training of key cancer-related medical professions, such as clinical radiologists and oncologists.

Following the outcome of the recent Spending Review, spending plans for individual budgets for 2022/23 to 2024/25, including for the radiology and oncology workforce, will be subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and finalised in due course.

The Department does not hold the data requested.

The Department does not hold the data requested.

NHS England and NHS Improvement aim to complete the process to determine the location of a second provider to deliver transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound services before the end of 2021/22. Until the location has been agreed, patients will continue to access assessment and treatment at the established centre in London.

NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned this service in April 2021, therefore the number of patients who will be eligible for this treatment is uncertain. NHS England and NHS Improvement anticipate a level of patient backlog, as a result of patients who are suitable for treatment waiting for the service to be established. Capacity for provision of service in the first year has therefore taken this into account. The actual demand will be closely monitored in the first few years to better inform future commissioning.

NHS England and NHS Improvement aim to complete the process to determine the location of a second provider to deliver transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound services before the end of 2021/22. Until the location has been agreed, patients will continue to access assessment and treatment at the established centre in London.

NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned this service in April 2021, therefore the number of patients who will be eligible for this treatment is uncertain. NHS England and NHS Improvement anticipate a level of patient backlog, as a result of patients who are suitable for treatment waiting for the service to be established. Capacity for provision of service in the first year has therefore taken this into account. The actual demand will be closely monitored in the first few years to better inform future commissioning.

Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.

MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.

A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.

Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.

MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.

A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.

Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.

MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.

A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.