It is not possible to provide an exact cost for preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the costs of Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies.

The 10 Year Capital Plan will support progress towards the Government’s commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres by 2035, with 120 to be delivered by 2030.

27 sites have already been selected across England to bring care closer to home through a first wave of Neighbourhood Health Centre schemes. Locations for these sites can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/communities-to-benefit-from-health-centres-on-their-doorstep

As set out in the 10-Year Capital Plan, integrated care boards are in the process of developing proposals for a further wave of Neighbourhood Health Centre schemes in their localities, based on their deep understanding of population need and local infrastructure requirements. This work will be supported by National Health Service regions, who will also play a central role in shaping a coherent pipeline of future neighbourhood health centres across their geography.

Further updates on scheme timelines and locations will be shared when this information becomes available.

National Health Service dental statistics identify dentists who performed NHS dental activity in a given financial year. Within these statistics a ‘leaver’ is defined as a performer who carried out NHS dental activity in the previous financial year but none in the following year. This data does not show whether a dentist has permanently left NHS practice, as a dentist may return in later years.

The following table shows the total number of dentists who have done some NHS work and the leavers each year from 2020/21 to 2024/25:

Source: Dental statistics – England, 2024/25, NHS Business Services Authority

Community hospitals are small local hospitals or units providing a range of clinical services to their local population. These services may include community beds, clinics, minor injuries services, diagnostic facilities, day care, mental health services, and maternity care.

Community hospital functions are carried out in a range of settings including intermediate care and rehabilitation settings, not just in buildings called ‘community hospitals’. Some providers will have multiple sites, and some acute hospitals will have community wards. This means the number of community hospitals in England is not held centrally.

The Government plans to establish 250 neighbourhood health centres across England by 2035. This is a core part of the 10-Year Health Plan, designed to shift care closer to local communities and reduce hospital pressure. The rollout timeline and milestones are:

• Initial Phase, by 2027, when the first 27 centres are established by upgrading and repurposing existing underused buildings, backed by £50 million of investment;

• Medium-Term Target, by 2030, when the Government has committed to having 120 of these centres open and operational; and

• Long-Term Target, by 2035, when the full rollout of 250 centres will be completed.

We have recently announced that two new dental schools, in Portsmouth and East Anglia, have each been allocated 25 new dental school places. These new dental schools are located in areas that previously did not have Government-funded dental training places. This increase means that England will have 859 funded dental school places from 2027/28, supported by an additional £11 million per year once the expansion is fully implemented.

Allocating dental training places is a statutory responsibility of the independent Office for Students.

From April 2026, we began introducing the package of reforms announced in December to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams have been experiencing. These reforms will prioritise those with the greatest need, shifting care away from clinically unnecessary check-ups.

Regulations introducing the first phase of these reforms, including a new requirement for high street dentists to deliver a minimum amount of urgent care, came into force on 1 April. The remainder of the reforms, including the introduction of complex care pathways, will be implemented from end June 2026.

The changes introduced in April also support increased use of cost-effective, evidence-based prevention interventions for children through introducing a new standalone fluoride varnish treatment for delivery by dental nurses, and by increasing the remuneration associated with fissure sealant treatments, therefore reducing the opportunities for disease progression.

We are committed to further, fundamental reform of the National Health Service dental contract by the end of this Parliament.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. In 2025/26, integrated care boards (ICBs) commissioned additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country.

1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April 2025 to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election, nearly half of which were delivered to children.

Data on the delivery of urgent dental care, including additional delivery, will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of NHS dental care.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for ensuring that patients can access medicines. In areas where there are fewer pharmacies, the Pharmacy Access Scheme provides financial support to eligible pharmacies to help them stay open.

Every three years, local authorities in England undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas, to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs. Integrated Care Boards have regard to those assessments when commissioning services, and where a pharmacy closure impacts access to services, a new contractor can apply to open a pharmacy in the area.

Where travelling to a pharmacy is not convenient, patients can choose to access pharmaceutical services through any of the over 400 distance selling pharmacies that are required to deliver medicines to patients free of charge. In some rural areas, doctors are permitted to dispense medicines.

The Government recently announced a £340 million uplift to community pharmacy funding, a 10% increase endorsed by Community Pharmacy England, recognising the essential role pharmacies play in supporting patients and the wider National Health Service in communities across the country.

The Department recognises that there is currently variation in access to, experience of, and outcomes from, palliative care across different population groups. The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will take a systematic approach to identifying and addressing health inequalities in access to these services. Under the MSF, inequalities will be defined in terms of unwarranted variation in access, experience, and outcomes between different population groups, including underserved and disadvantaged communities.

The MSF will support systems to measure and reduce these inequalities through the development of a set of clinically led, evidence‑based metrics and outcome measures, including person‑centred outcome and experience measures. These metrics are currently in development and are being co‑designed with stakeholders, including people with lived experience and sector partners.

This will be underpinned by strengthened use of data and evidence, enabling integrated care boards (ICBs) to better understand local need, identify gaps in provision, and track progress in reducing inequalities over time. The MSF will also support a shift towards population‑based commissioning, requiring ICBs to undertake integrated needs assessments and ensure that services are planned and delivered with explicit regard to improving access and outcomes for underserved and disadvantaged groups.

Full details, including specific targets and associated metrics, will be set out in the final MSF, which is due to be published in Autumn 2026.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End‑of‑Life Care, improving earlier identification of people who may benefit from palliative care and end-of-life care is a key priority. The MSF will support a more consistent, person‑centred and equity‑informed approach to identifying needs earlier and more effectively across all care settings.

The MSF builds on the Neighbourhood Health Framework ambition that, by March 2029, systems will increase the number of people identified as approaching the end of life by 10%. Systems are already beginning to take forward this work, with integrated care boards (ICBs) being asked to develop a clearer understanding of their local populations through integrated needs assessments and improved data on service utilisation, including for those with palliative care and end‑of‑life care needs.

Additionally, the MSF will build on existing national guidance and commissioning frameworks, including the Model ICB Blueprint, the Strategic Commissioning Framework, and the Medium-Term Planning Framework, which are already supporting ICBs to plan and commission services more effectively and sustainably over the longer term. These set out clear expectations for systems to strengthen their approach to strategic commissioning, improve understanding of population need, and begin embedding high‑impact actions based on evidence and best practice.

Full details, including specific targets and associated metrics, will be set out in the final MSF, which is due to be published in Autumn 2026.

The adult social care workforce is growing. Skills for Care data shows that in 2024/25, there were 1.60 million filled posts, an increase of 52,000, or 3.4%, from 2023/24.

In terms of staffing levels within individual providers, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 18 states that providers must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. Where the Care Quality Commission finds a breach in this regulation, they can take regulatory action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.

The Government recognises the challenges with recruitment and retention in adult social care. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This won’t just improve pay for some of the lowest paid workers in our economy but will also drive critical improvements to recruitment and retention in the sector.

We are also investing up to £10 million this financial year to the Adult Social Care Learning and Development scheme launched in September 2024.

From autumn 2026, a national NHS Independent Prescribing (IP) offer will be introduced in community pharmacy following the conclusion of the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework consultation with Community Pharmacy England.

Funding to support the introduction of IP will be provided to pharmacy contractors via a one-off £500 set up fee, a £525 monthly infrastructure fee, and through the existing consultation fees and fixed payments related to Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service. The services will be optional to pharmacy contractors with access to an independent prescriber.

In 2025, there were 3,154 community pharmacists reported as currently holding independent prescribing qualifications in England. From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers from the day of registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council. In addition, NHS England provides funding for more than 3,000 places for post-registration independent prescribing training each year, at a cost of more than £6 million annually. This will increase the number of IPs in the workforce and the coverage of services that make full use of their clinical skills.

From autumn 2026, a national NHS Independent Prescribing (IP) offer will be introduced in community pharmacy following the conclusion of the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework consultation with Community Pharmacy England.

Funding to support the introduction of IP will be provided to pharmacy contractors via a one-off £500 set up fee, a £525 monthly infrastructure fee, and through the existing consultation fees and fixed payments related to Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service. The services will be optional to pharmacy contractors with access to an independent prescriber.

In 2025, there were 3,154 community pharmacists reported as currently holding independent prescribing qualifications in England. From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers from the day of registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council. In addition, NHS England provides funding for more than 3,000 places for post-registration independent prescribing training each year, at a cost of more than £6 million annually. This will increase the number of IPs in the workforce and the coverage of services that make full use of their clinical skills.

From autumn 2026, a national NHS Independent Prescribing (IP) offer will be introduced in community pharmacy following the conclusion of the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework consultation with Community Pharmacy England.

Funding to support the introduction of IP will be provided to pharmacy contractors via a one-off £500 set up fee, a £525 monthly infrastructure fee, and through the existing consultation fees and fixed payments related to Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service. The services will be optional to pharmacy contractors with access to an independent prescriber.

In 2025, there were 3,154 community pharmacists reported as currently holding independent prescribing qualifications in England. From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers from the day of registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council. In addition, NHS England provides funding for more than 3,000 places for post-registration independent prescribing training each year, at a cost of more than £6 million annually. This will increase the number of IPs in the workforce and the coverage of services that make full use of their clinical skills.

From autumn 2026, a national NHS Independent Prescribing (IP) offer will be introduced in community pharmacy following the conclusion of the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework consultation with Community Pharmacy England.

Funding to support the introduction of IP will be provided to pharmacy contractors via a one-off £500 set up fee, a £525 monthly infrastructure fee, and through the existing consultation fees and fixed payments related to Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service. The services will be optional to pharmacy contractors with access to an independent prescriber.

In 2025, there were 3,154 community pharmacists reported as currently holding independent prescribing qualifications in England. From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers from the day of registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council. In addition, NHS England provides funding for more than 3,000 places for post-registration independent prescribing training each year, at a cost of more than £6 million annually. This will increase the number of IPs in the workforce and the coverage of services that make full use of their clinical skills.

The Care provision, integration and continuity quality statement in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) current assessment framework looks to assess whether:

• people receive care and treatment from services that understand the diverse health and social care needs of their local communities;

• there is continuity in people’s care and treatment because services are flexible and joined-up;

• people’s care and treatment is delivered in a way that meets their assessed needs from services that are co-ordinated and responsive; and

• delivering and co-ordinating services considers the needs and preferences of different people, including those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act and those at most risk of a poorer experience of care.

CQC inspectors may look at how care homes work with others, including general practices (GPs), to deliver joined up care to people using their services.

As part of the Provider Information Return for adult social care residential services, the CQC also asks about partnerships. Here, providers can give feedback on the effectiveness of how they work in partnership with other services.

Ensuring adequate GP provision is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs). GP surgeries, as primary care providers, are regulated by the CQC, and we expect the local ICB as the commissioner to take action if services are not meeting the reasonable needs of their patients.

The National Health Service is committed to ensuring the healthcare provision matches the needs of care homes registered with general practices (GPs). From 1 October 2020, primary care networks (PCNs) became responsible for the full Enhanced Health in Care Homes clinical service set out in the GP Contract.

Under Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH), commissioners must ensure that all eligible local care homes have a named clinical lead and are assigned to a local PCN who is responsible for delivering the EHCH requirements. PCNs must establish and coordinate an multidisciplinary team to deliver the EHCH requirements. This includes a weekly ‘home round’ of their care home patients, where patients identified as a clinical priority for assessment and care are prioritised for review. The checks should include appropriate and consistent medical oversight and input from a GP and/or geriatrician. PCNs, working with multidisciplinary teams, must develop personalised care plans with care home patients to strengthen support for care home residents, their families, and staff.

From 1 April 2023, commissioning responsibility for primary care dentistry transferred to integrated care boards, including the duty to assess local oral health needs and set commissioning priorities. NHS England has issued an Assurance Framework to support safe and effective delivery of these functions, alongside guidance issued in 2022 on the use of flexible commissioning. As of 2024, a minimum unit of dental activity (UDA) value of £28 is in place to support practices with historically low UDA rates. This guidance incudes advice on amending UDA values, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/opportunities-for-flexible-commissioning-in-primary-care-dentistry-a-framework-for-commissioners/

The Government is committed to fundamental contract reform by the end of this Parliament, and we have been working to scope potential changes that will deliver genuine improvements for both patients and the profession.

Since 2024, a minimum Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) value of £28 has been in place to support practices with historically low UDA rates. Integrated care boards have the flexibility to influence the UDA rate locally, which may help to support local interventions. The current differential UDA rates across England also allow providers to use differing pay rates for associate dentists to reflect the local market rates.