Data is not held on the average amount of time National Health Service dentists spent carrying out private dental work for each year between 2020 and 2025.

In April 2026, for ophthalmology, performance against the standard for 92% of patients to start first treatment within 18 weeks of referral was 73.1%, 5.3% higher than a year earlier.

In most cases, contracts will have to comply with National Health Service unit prices, a set of prices and rules used by providers of NHS care and commissioners to deliver the most efficient, cost-effective care to patients. These unit prices are consistent across independent sector providers and NHS providers. Productivity rate information is not held centrally by the Department. Integrated care boards are the primary bodies responsible for commissioning care from healthcare providers and ensuring value for money is achieved.

The Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity dataset, published by NHS England, can be used to identify procedure types, including those undertaken as part of cataract operations. Data for the 2025/26 financial year is not yet currently published. This is currently due for publication in September 2026.

The following table shows a count of cataract operations in 2025, both those in an admitted setting, or Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs), and outpatient settings, split by NHS and non-NHS providers where there was any cataract procedure:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics.

A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are typically counted against the year in which they end, which is the approach we have taken here. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Admitted outpatient appointments include first and follow-up attendances and telephone consultations, and excludes did not attends and cancellations. The below procedure codes are those which are considered under cataract operations:

• C71: Extracapsular extraction of lens;

• C72: Intracapsular extraction of lens;

• C73: Incision of capsule of lens;

• C74: Other extraction of lens;

• C75: Prosthesis of lens; and

• C77: Other operations on lens.

No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

We have delivered 1.8 million more dental treatments and reduced the underspend from £392 million in 2023/4 to just £36 million in 2024/5, maximising the treatments provided for taxpayers’ money.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend.

NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

We have delivered 1.8 million more dental treatments and reduced the underspend from £392 million in 2023/4 to just £36 million in 2024/5, maximising the treatments provided for taxpayers’ money.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend.

NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

We have delivered 1.8 million more dental treatments and reduced the underspend from £392 million in 2023/4 to just £36 million in 2024/5, maximising the treatments provided for taxpayers’ money.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend.

NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

We have delivered 1.8 million more dental treatments and reduced the underspend from £392 million in 2023/4 to just £36 million in 2024/5, maximising the treatments provided for taxpayers’ money.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend.

NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

No such assessment has been made. Data on the number of National Health Service dental appointments cancelled due to dental practices converting to private provision is not held.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.

No such assessment has been made. Data on the number of National Health Service dental appointments cancelled due to dental practices converting to private provision is not held.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices continue to have access to the dental care they need.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.

No such assessment has been made.

Data on the number of National Health Service dental appointments cancelled due to dental practices converting to private provision are not held.

Data is not held on National Health Service dentists transitioning to private-only practice in the past 12 months.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has met with sector representatives including the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors for Adult Social Services to discuss operational issues, emerging challenges, and opportunities to improve adult social care services.

Minister Kinnock and his officials maintain regular engagement with the adult social care sector, discussing policy and local delivery. For example, in December 2025, I attended the Fair Pay Agreement Working Group, comprised of trade unions, local government, employer representatives and wider social care partners. In November 2025, I gave a speech at the National Children and Adults Services Conference attended by local government and independent sector representatives. We are committed to working in genuine partnership with social care professionals, local authorities, policy makers, and crucially the people who draw on care and support.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, which is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

Since October 2024, we have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. Over 2,600 individual GPs have now been recruited, preventing them from graduating into unemployment. We have committed to training thousands more GPs across the country which will increase capacity and take the pressure off those currently working in the system.

The Government is committed to ensuring the GP workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do. Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring the NHS is able to recruit and retain staff and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. In the spring we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will set out how we will deliver change to ensure that staff will be better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence produces evidence-based guidance for health and care practitioners on best practice for a variety of conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. NHS England has also published service specifications that describe how clinical and medical care is offered to people with gender dysphoria.

GPs have access to a range of support from their integrated care boards and NHS England has developed a suite of implementation materials, delivery guidance and protocols, and has provided access to training resources to help GPs with weight management prescribing.

We recognise the vital contribution that high street eye care providers make in maintaining the nation’s eye health.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This could include the commissioning of community-based glaucoma services, such as glaucoma referral filtering or glaucoma monitoring schemes.

The Getting It Right First-Time programme is currently developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services to support the adoption of high standards across the pathway, from detection onwards.

This information is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally.

I regularly hold discussions with providers from across the social care sector, including private and voluntary sectors, and with local authority providers. This includes roundtables and site visits.

Department officials also regularly engage with private adult social care providers and sector representatives to understand the challenges faced by their workforce.

In order to gain a full understanding of issues affecting the workforce, the Department commissioned ‘The Adult Social Care workforce and their work-related quality of life survey’ which provides detailed evidence on the issues most affecting staff.

The full survey report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-asc-workforce-and-work-related-quality-of-life

Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable, and regulated providers have a key role in safeguarding adults. All staff are subject to employer checks and controls, and employers must satisfy themselves regarding the skills and competence of their staff.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors how well providers are safeguarding service users. As part of their regulatory regime, the CQC checks that care providers have effective systems to help keep adults safe from abuse and neglect.

International workers applying for a Health and Care Visa must submit a criminal record certificate from any country that they have resided in for 12 months or more in the last ten years. Further to this, a Disclosure and Barring Service check must be undertaken.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) treatment is considered as planned non-emergency care. The NHS.UK website advises that it is not usually serious and generally gets better without treatment. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/temporomandibular-disorder-tmd/

Treatment options for TMJD are:

- conservative treatments such as pain relief, physiotherapy, bite guards, and self-management advice. These are usually provided through primary care and would be considered as non-urgent but necessary care;

- specialist referral, if conservative treatment does not help, specifically referral to oral maxillofacial surgery or a specialist pain clinic may occur. These referrals are part of the routine National Health Service pathways but are prioritised on clinical need; and

- surgical treatments in severe cases, which are scheduled as planned elective procedures. In NHS terms this falls under elective care, but it is not optional in a cosmetic sense, as it is clinically indicated.

NHS England Getting It Right First Time and the Royal College of Surgeons’ Faculty of Dental Surgery have produced guidance to better manage the condition, which is available at the following link:

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/FDS/Comprehensive-guideline-Management-of-painful-Temporomandibular-disorder-in-adults-March-2024.pdf

No assessment has been made on the adequacy of the training for general practitioners and dentists on recognising and managing TMJD. The standard of training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council and General Dental Council, which are independent statutory bodies.

The National Health Service and general practices (GPs) are free at the point of use, and anyone is entitled to register with an NHS GP regardless of whether they have had private healthcare before.

Under the GP Contract, a contractor must not host private paid-for GP services that fall within the scope of NHS funded primary medical services, and must not themselves, or through another person, advertise the provision of private services using the same written or electronic means used to advertise the NHS funded primary medical services they provide.

This does not prevent individual GPs from offering purely private GP services to non-registered patients, although these services must be outside the agreed medical services and separate to the services provided to their NHS patient list and on alternative premises which are not NHS-funded. This is intended to safeguard the model of comprehensive NHS primary medical care and ensure that the line between NHS and private practice does not become blurred.

The British Medical Association provides guidance to GPs on its website for their responsibility in responding to private health care.