Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 24 April 2025.

It will inform England’s first ever men’s health strategy to tackle the life expectancy gap.

• Call for evidence will inform England’s first ever men’s health strategy to tackle life expectancy gap
• Members of the public and healthcare experts will get their say on ways to tackle biggest health problems facing men as part of Plan for Change to improve health care for everyone
• This follows government’s first ever Men’s Health Summit held in partnership with Movember, co-hosted by Arsenal and Premier League

The government is today (Thursday 24 April) calling for men of all ages to come forward and feed into England’s first ever men’s health strategy.

The 12-week call for evidence will gather vital insights from the public, health and social care professionals, academics and employers so the government can properly consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest issues facing men from all backgrounds.

It will ask for their views on what is working and what more needs to be done to close the life expectancy gap between men and women, as men in England die nearly four years earlier than women on average.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes. Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50.

Our Plan for Change means we will tackle these issues head on through a men’s health strategy, and today’s call for evidence is the crucial next step in understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how we can design services men will actually use. I urge people to come forward to share their views.

The call for evidence will seek responses on how the government’s Plan for Change can work across the board to improve the health and wellbeing of men, through:

• Prevention – finding the right areas and the right ways to promote healthier behaviours
• Diagnosis and treatment – improving outcomes for health conditions that hit men harder
• Encouragement to come forward – improving men’s access to, engagement with and experience of the health service

This government is committed to fixing the NHS and getting a grip on the stark health inequalities that exist across the country through the Plan for Change, which will rebuild the health service and deliver better care for everyone. With a clearer, more tailored approach for both men and women, their distinct health needs will be met better.

In women’s health, we’re turning the commitments in the women’s health strategy into tangible actions – taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan, investing in a major AI breast cancer screening trial, and implementing key priority areas outlines in our strategy – alongside taking wider government action to tackle violence against women and girls.

Amy O’Connor, Global Lead, Policy and Advocacy at Movember, said:

Too many men are dying too young, the men’s health strategy is a once in a generation opportunity to invest in positive change for men and their loved ones. Share your solutions – whether it’s more community support groups, improved education, or enhancing clinical training, to create a lasting impact on the future of men’s health.

Julie Bentley, Samaritans CEO, said:

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 so it’s critical that suicide prevention is front and centre of this strategy. With men making up 75 percent of all suicides, this strategy is a real opportunity to prevent thousands of deaths.

Recognising what works for different groups of men, focusing on key risk factors and providing evidenced based support will be crucial and we’d encourage everyone to submit evidence to this important consultation. We look forward to working with Government on meaningful ways to cut suicide rates and save lives.

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community and Wellbeing Board, said:

We are pleased that the Government has announced plans to launch the first-ever Men’s Health Strategy with a call for evidence. It’s a significant step towards improving men’s health outcomes and ensuring that men can live healthier, longer, happier lives.

The call for evidence will be open for views on the Department of Health and Social Care website until 17 July. The government aims to launch the men’s health strategy later this year.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 23 April 2025.

Government backs world-leading trial of cutting-edge technology to diagnose bowel cancer earlier, harnessing the power of technology to treat patients.

Patients could soon benefit from world-leading technology to diagnose bowel cancer earlier, faster and cheaper, reducing the need for invasive colonoscopies and biopsies, and potentially saving valuable time and resource for the NHS, the government has announced today (Wednesday 23rd April).

The technology, made on British soil by Xgenera, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, has the potential to detect bowel cancer earlier, improving diagnosis rates, and offering patients valuable time back to treat the disease faster and more effectively.

Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer, with over 42,000 people diagnosed each year. Early diagnosis is crucial, with 9 in 10 people surviving bowel cancer when it’s detected at stage 1, compared to just 1 in 10 when diagnosed at stage 4.

This government is driving forward improvements to cancer care through the Plan for Change to fix our NHS – including by improving waiting times for lower gastrointestinal diagnosis. From July 2024 to February 2025, 76.6% of patients have received their cancer diagnosis or all clear within 28 days, an increase of 4ppt compared to the previous year.

Today’s announcement comes as the Health and Social Care Secretary is set to visit a research lab funded by Cancer Research UK, which has been renamed in memory of campaigner Dame Deborah James.

The BowelBabe Laboratory will bring together leading scientists to advance our understanding of bowel cancer. It will conduct cutting-edge research and will aid in the development of new treatments for bowel cancer.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

From my own experience, I know the devastating toll cancer can take on patients and families, and how many of them have been faced with long waiting lists to get the diagnosis and treatment they deserve.

We know that the key to surviving cancer is catching it as early as possible, so this government is taking the urgent action needed to make sure that happens through our Plan for Change, from developing world leading technology to detect bowel cancer earlier, through to setting up hubs for the UK’s top scientists to research and treat the disease.

Dame Deborah James dedicated her life to raising awareness for cancer and finding ways that we can beat it, so it is only right that we honour her legacy by investing in research to help stop one of the country’s biggest killers.

And research is only one part of the work we’re doing. Our National Cancer Plan will transform cancer so patients can get the latest treatments and technology, ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to some of the best in the world.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:

Innovations such as the mIONCO-Dx blood test offer an exciting new era in cancer detection with the potential for quicker, easier and more effective ways to detect cancers before they become more difficult to treat.

The NIHR is supporting initiatives such as these, utilising the latest technologies such as AI, to provide patients and the public with timely, accurate and easily accessible options. Supporting the UK’s thriving life sciences sector is key to seeing these strides in diagnosis and early prevention.

In collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the government has awarded £2.4m to progress the development of the AI-driven blood test, known as miONCO-Dx. The test was developed on data from over 20,000 patients and has since been translated into a cheaper, faster and more scalable solution, marking a significant step forward. This new solution will be assessed in a clinical trial of 8,000 patients, giving a formal and significant step towards bringing the test closer to patients by ensuring it is fit for purpose in the NHS.

The test works by measuring the microRNA in a blood sample and using AI to identify if cancer is present and if so, where it is located in the body.  Initial tests have produced promising results, having shown that it is able to detect 12 of the most lethal and common cancers, including bowel cancer, at an early stage, with over 99% accuracy. With no other trial currently working in the same way, this a world-leader and will support in placing Britain at the forefront of revolutionising healthcare.

The simple blood test will be able to identify cancer earlier, where treatment is not only more effective, but also cheaper and easier, potentially freeing up valuable NHS resources and staffing time in the long run.

Bowel cancer can be difficult to detect in the early stages, and survivability drops significantly as the disease progresses, as treatment options become more limited. Investing in technologies that can support experts to detect cancer early, such as the miONCO-Dx, is an essential first step in reducing the lives lost by cancer.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths in the UK. I’m delighted to welcome the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to the Bowelbabe Laboratory and show him the cutting-edge research being carried out in the name of the inspirational Dame Deborah James. She touched the lives of so many, and her legacy is supporting people affected by bowel cancer across the country.

This NIHR trial shows the importance of research and the impact new technology and developments could have. The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England is an opportunity for the UK Government to improve the lives of not just bowel cancer patients, but all cancer patients. We will continue to work with them on this.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said:

This blood test has the potential to help us detect bowel cancer earlier and reduce the need for invasive tests, and the next step in this trial will now be vital in gathering further evidence on its effectiveness and how it could work in practice.

Dame Deborah James was a tireless and inspirational campaigner who helped change the national conversation on bowel cancer – it’s fitting that this lab in her name will drive forward research that could help thousands more people survive the disease.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Bowel cancer has brought heartbreak to too many families across the country. But working in partnership with the NHS, researchers, and business, we can harness AI to overhaul how we detect and treat this horrendous disease. This new method is less invasive and will help with earlier detection which means keeping more families together for longer.

Our support for cancer research will unlock more innovation and make vital work like that of the BowelBabe Research Lab possible. All of this will help us build a better NHS as part of our Plan for Change.

Fighting cancer on all fronts, from diagnosis, research, prevention and treatment, is a key commitment made by the government. Earlier this year, the government launched a call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan, designed to improve patient experience to fight cancer.

This forms part of the wider strategy to reduce lives lost to the biggest killers across the UK, with investment in AI and innovative technologies helping to speed up diagnosis and improve treatment.

As part of its Plan for Change, the government will transform the NHS and is already seeing results – with waiting lists falling by over 200,000 since July last year.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 17 April 2025.

Government confirms expansion of Advice and Guidance scheme, with more patients now receiving their care closer to home.

• More patients to get care in the community thanks to roll out of expanded scheme to keep patients off waiting lists
• £80m available to support GPs in getting patients care in the right place, rather than being sent to hospitals
• Expanded scheme marks latest step to deliver government’s Plan for Change to cut waiting lists after data shows 3 million extra appointments created since July

Tens of thousands of patients are receiving care closer to home, so they don’t have to be added to lengthy NHS waiting lists, as the government confirms the expansion of a GP scheme to shift care from hospital to community.

The scheme named “Advice and Guidance” sees GPs working more closely with hospital specialists to access expert advice quickly and speed their patients through the system, so they get care in the right place as soon as possible.

That means patients are being directed to more appropriate care – such as being prescribed medication, accessing blood tests or scans via their GP, or receiving care in a local women’s health hub or community physio service, rather than being put on long NHS waiting lists.

And new data shows that, between July and December 2024, around 660,000 treatments were diverted from hospitals and into the community thanks to the scheme – a 60,000 increase on the same period the previous year.

The government has pledged to expand the use of the system, with an ambition to increase diversions from the elective waiting list to up to 2 million by the end of 2025/26 – meaning that more patients will benefit from faster and more convenient care. The NHS is now rolling out payments to GPs across the country, replacing the previous approach which led to patchy provision and meant a postcode lottery for patients.

As a result of tough but necessary decisions made at the Budget, the government has been able to put £26 billion of investment into the NHS, which is funding the £80 million expansion of this efficient and effective “Advice and Guidance” service – alongside driving forward work to cut waiting lists and improve care for patients through the Plan for Change.

Thanks to the scheme, patients suffering from something as common as irritable bowel syndrome – which is estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 people – can avoid being added to already long waiting lists, which stand at almost 400,000 for digestive conditions. Instead, after an initial consultation with their family doctor, the GP can seek expert advice and refer the patient directly to dieticians to provide quicker care, closer to home – all without the patient having to set foot inside a hospital.

Health Minister Karin Smyth said:

By caring for patients closer to home, we save time and stop masses of people having to head to hospital for unnecessary appointments in the first place.

We are rewiring the NHS so that we are doing things differently, more efficiently and delivering better outcomes for patients. This scheme is a perfect example of how we are saving patients time and reducing pressure on key NHS services in the process.

It will take time to reverse the damaging neglect the NHS has suffered in recent years, but our Plan for Change is starting to deliver benefits for patients, with waiting lists cut by 219,000 since July, and 1,500 new GPs in post.

Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS national director for primary care and community services, said:

GPs have been working closely with specialist hospital teams to make sure patients get the right care and treatment.

Expanding this service with this new funding will help even more patients access the right support, closer to their home while reducing unnecessary waits for hospital care.

“Advice and Guidance” opens a channel between GPs and hospital specialists before patients are referred onto waiting lists for hospital care. It enables patients to get the right tests and treatment via their GP or local services within their community.

From April, GP practices can now claim for every request raised via the scheme in recognition of their vital role in helping to deliver the shift from hospital to community. The expansion of the scheme aims to standardise its use across the country and ensure it is being deployed consistently to get patients treated in the right place.

Many patients suffering from certain conditions, can and should be safely and effectively managed in an out-of-hospital setting. This means people can take more power over decision making, which can help to improve overall wellbeing and potentially even reduce healthcare costs.

Other examples of patients who stand to benefit from the expansion include:

• Women seeking gynaecological care, including treatment for menopause symptoms where GPs may need specialist advice on which types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prescribe. Providing this treatment in the community saves patients being added to the waiting list for gynaecological care, which stands at more than 580,000.
• Patients with ear, nose and throat (ENT) issues – 30 per cent of referrals to secondary care currently include many conditions which can and should be managed in an out-of-hospital setting, including tinnitus, ear wax removal, and simple ear infections. As of February 2025, the waiting list for ENT services is 634,000.

Professor Sir Sam Everington OBE, GP in Tower Hamlets since 1989, said:

Advice and guidance enables patients and GPs to get advice direct from a specialist, typically within a week for routine cases. This means that patients get their health problems sorted rapidly, preventing health deterioration and avoiding long waits to be seen. In my experience, over two-thirds of patients with kidney disease can be managed in this way with advice from a consultant and treatment by the GP, removing the enormous stress and uncertainty of waiting a long time.

Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said:

Advice and Guidance, if implemented effectively, can support improved patient care, streamlined referrals processes, and efficient use of resources. It can give the patient and their GP more control over their treatment options and support care closer to home.

For many conditions, we know that hospital treatment isn’t the best option so this measure will support a greater drive to provision of out of hospital services in line with the government’s priorities, and deliver more investment in primary and community services to provide more cost-effective support to patients.

Sharon Brennan, Director of Policy and External Affairs, National Voices, said:

If genuine shared decision-making sits at the centre of the advice and guidance service it has the potential to ensure, where appropriate, patients receive the most suitable care closer to home without having to anxiously sit on consultant waiting lists. To make sure patient develop trust in this new service, we must see real choice offered to patients about what best treatment routes are, and strong communication about what the service is and what it means in practical terms for patient care.

The government has set out its plan to reform and rebuild the NHS, with the ambition that 92% of patients will be waiting less than 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

The Plan for Change is already delivering tangible impacts for patients – with industrial action ended, NHS waiting lists falling, and over 3 million additional appointments delivered since July 2024.

We have also begun fixing the front door of the NHS, hiring an extra 1,500 GPs since October and changing the GP contract to help bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 14 April 2025.

Dr Camilla Kingdon has been appointed by the Secretary of State to chair an independent review of children’s hearing services.

• Dr Camilla Kingdon has accepted a direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
• As a consultant neonatologist and former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), Dr Kingdon brings extensive expertise to the review

The Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, has commissioned an independent review of children’s hearing services and has appointed Dr Camilla Kingdon as its independent chair.

The review will consider:

• the NHS England response to the service failures in paediatric audiology
• how the relevant governance arrangements between NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) could be improved and identify lessons learned
• how NHS England’s handling of any future service failures in similar services could be improved and identify lessons learned

Dr Kingdon brings extensive expertise to the review. She has been a consultant neonatologist at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital for over 20 years and until March last year she was President of RCPCH. She has an MA in Medical Careers Management and was Head of the London School of Paediatrics and Child Health for 5 years from 2014.

Dr Kingdon is also the independent chair of the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service National Provider Network for England, tasked with implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review (the independent review of gender identity services for children and young people) in England. She has been a non-executive director on the board at Great Ormond Street Hospital since January 2025, is chair of the UK Healthy Air Coalition, a coalition of charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to tackle air pollution, and is a member of the NHS Assembly.

Background to the review

In December 2021, a report was published into service issues in paediatric audiology in NHS Lothian, which focused on whether children’s hearing tests were being conducted properly and effectively followed up.

Further issues with the diagnosis of hearing issues in newborns and children were identified in other Scottish NHS trusts in 2023. Subsequent assessment of NHS audiology services in paediatric departments across England in 2023 and 2024 identified similar problems. NHS England established the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme in 2023 to address the issues and oversee remedial action.

The press release issued by the Department for Health and Social Care on 9 April 2025.

Government delivers on promise to support frontline staff with new action to tackle violence, improve working lives and enhance career progression.

• Measures include improved reporting and prevention of violence and aggression in the workplace as incidents against healthcare workers reach alarming levels
• New measures will make sure staff are paid correctly for the work they are asked to deliver

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, will today announce a comprehensive support package to tackle violence and improve the working lives of NHS staff.

The measures are part of a range of recommendations accepted by the government under the Agenda for Change contract – which covers over a million frontline NHS workers – following the agreement of the 2023 pay deal.

Violence against healthcare workers has become a critical issue, with the 2024 NHS Staff Survey revealing that one in seven experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public.

A quarter of NHS staff experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months. Many incidents currently go unreported, hampering efforts to address the problem systematically.

New measures will be put in place to encourage staff to report incidents of violence or aggression towards them, and to ensure this information is collected at national level. Data will also be analysed to better understand if certain staff groups – whether by race, gender, disability status, or role – face disproportionate risks, allowing trusts to protect the most vulnerable workers.

In a keynote speech to UNISON’s National Health Care Service Group Conference in Liverpool, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

No one should go to work fearing violence. Yet one in every seven people employed by the NHS have suffered violence at the hands of patients, their relatives, or other members of the public.

Protecting staff from violence is not an optional extra. Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff. It’s a commitment to make sure healthcare workers can focus on saving lives without fear for their own safety.

I owe my life to the NHS staff who cared for me through kidney cancer. I owe a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay, but I certainly intend to try. You were there for me, and I’ll be there for you.

The package of measures will also address longstanding issues around ensuring staff are paid correctly for the work they deliver. Staff being routinely required to work beyond their job description with no compensation has led to a number of local disputes, such as those relating to clinical support worker roles in the Midlands at Kettering General Hospital and University Hospitals of Leicester.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with NHS England, NHS Employers and the Staff Council to implement a national digital system to support the fair and consistent application of the Job Evaluation Scheme.

This will ensure staff are placed in the appropriate pay band recognising the skills and knowledge required for the role.

Further measures include:

• enhanced career progression support for nurses such as more learning and development, leadership training and career coaching for managers
• new guidance for employers on how to recognise overseas experience on appointment into the NHS and share best practice on recruitment and selection processes
• steps to reduce reliance on expensive agency workers by making it easier for NHS staff to take up flexible working and developing good practice guidance on working patterns for existing staff
• encouraging six-month career reviews tailored specifically for ethnic minority nurses to identify progression pathways and provide targeted interview preparation support

In total, 36 recommendations have been accepted by ministers. These measures are expected to have a considerable and positive impact on the NHS workforce, improve staff morale and enhance recruitment and retention.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 April 2025.

Care leaders will be trained to use the latest cutting-edge technology to improve patient care, free up staff time and help people live independently in their own homes for longer.

In a bid to shift adult social care from analogue to digital as part of the Plan for Change, the Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a new qualification that will equip care leaders with the skills to use and rapidly deploy technology across care homes and other settings.

The training will focus on tools which have been shown to improve the quality of care and reduce pressure on staff. This includes motion sensors that can detect and alert staff when a patient has had a fall; video telecare to allow remote appointments with doctors and carers to reduce the need to travel; and artificial intelligence which can automate routine tasks like note taking or predict when a patient might need additional care.

Care technologies like these will help people to receive the best possible care in the community and prevent avoidable trips to the hospital, reducing pressure on the NHS.  It supports the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to make health and social care fit for the future.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

We will harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology to transform social care, helping people to live independently in their own homes and improving the quality of care.

By investing in skills training for care workers, introducing a Fair Pay Agreement, and providing more opportunities for career progression, we will help retain the incredible professionals we need.

Our Plan for Change will make sure we have the people and the skills needed to build a National Care Service.

Speaking at Unison’s 2025 National Health Care Conference, the Health and Social Care Secretary also outlined a series of wider measures to boost the recruitment and retention of care staff. The plans will professionalise the adult social care workforce and help staff progress in their careers, leading to better pay and recognition.

This includes:

• Setting up new job roles – like deputy managers, registered managers, personal assistants and a new enhanced care worker role – in recognition of increasingly complex care requirements. It will mean their skills will be recognised across the health service, so that GPs, doctors and other health professionals understand their expertise.
• £12 million to fund courses and qualifications for carers to develop new skills, build expertise and advance in their careers.

The boost for social care careers will support the 1.59 million strong workforce which provides vital care and support to people of all ages and with diverse, complex needs and is in recognition of the vital work they do.

The measures come as unpaid carers’ see the biggest rise in their earnings limit since the 1970s this month, and the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for the sector continues to progress through Parliament.

Baroness Louise Casey will soon begin her independent commission into adult social care which will look at how we recruit, retain and support the workforce as part of its focus on building a social care system fit for the future.

Background

Care Workforce Pathway

• The Care Workforce Pathway is the first universal career structure for the adult social care workforce. It focuses on direct care and support roles. The second part of the Pathway includes four further role categories to continue to match the breadth of careers in adult social care.
• The Pathway provides clear guidance for progression and development for professionals in the adult social care sector by outlining the necessary knowledge, skills, values and behaviours they will need in their work/practice. 8 It sets out how people can develop across a long-term career in adult social care with support and training; attracting people to join and remain in the sector and supporting sustainable workforce growth.

Level 5 Digital Leadership Qualification

• This new qualification will ensure adult social care leaders and managers have the skills they need to adopt digital innovations and new technology to help transform the sector.
• This supports the fundamental shift from analogue to digital in adult social care will support high quality, safe, efficient and person-centred care. This shift is dependent on the adult social care workforce feeling confident, skilled and supported to embed digital ways of working.
• Awarding Organisations can decide which technologies to focus on and these are included, but not limited to: smart home technologies, assistive technologies, technologies worn by staff, telecare, diagnostic tools, digital social care records, business software and AI and robotics technology. Further information can be found in the Level 5 Award in Understanding Digital Leadership in Adult Social Care Qualification Specification.

Publication of updated care certificate standards

• The Care Certificate standards have been refreshed to bring the contents up to date and in line with the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification that was launched in June 2024.
• The Care Certificate Standards were developed for use in England and are the recommended minimum training, supervision and assessment that staff new to care (health and adult social care) should receive as part of induction and before they start to deliver care. It provides a foundation for healthcare support and social care worker roles, ensuring that the new worker can provide a compassionate and caring service.

International Recruitment Fund

• Additionally, the government will also reduce reliance on overseas recruitment for social care. £12.5 million has been made available for the international recruitment fund to tackle the exploitation of international care workers. This will help find new employment for displaced overseas care workers, prioritising those already in the UK before hiring internationally.

Learning and Development Support Scheme

• The Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) will continue in financial year 2025 to 2026, backed by up to £12 million. This scheme supports adult social care employers to invest in their workforce through funded training opportunities. Updated information has been published on GOV.UK: Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme – GOV.UK
• The Level 5 Digital Leadership qualification is eligible for funding under the Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS).

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 8 April 2025.

More than 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued to parents who have lost a pregnancy, allowing them to formally recognise their loss.

• Thousands more parents have benefited from the scheme since it was extended in October 2024
• Over 100,000 certificates have now been issued, helping parents formally recognise the loss of baby during pregnancy
• The government remains committed to improving healthcare services and strengthening support for women and their families

More than 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued to parents who have lost a pregnancy, allowing them to formally recognise their loss.

Baby loss certificates offer a way of providing comfort and support to bereaved parents, who have gone through an unimaginable loss. They provide acknowledgement that their baby existed and mattered.

Support groups have long campaigned for these certificates and have welcomed this news.

The government is also committed to ensuring bereaved parents are better supported, and that the impact and importance of their loss is recognised.

Work to improve women’s health services and maternity outcomes in ongoing with thousands more midwives trained, and we are committed fulfilling our commitment to closing the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap.

We are making progress already – cutting gynaecology waiting lists through our Plan for Change, boosting menopause support in the workplace, and revolutionising AI cancer screening for breast cancer through our £11 million AI EDITH cancer trial.  We are also utilising the independent sector to cut down waiting lists and provide more appointments – this includes for women’s health conditions such as endometriosis and breast cancer.

Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:

Losing a pregnancy can be devastating, and it is important that bereaved parents have the option to formally recognise the existence of their babies.

I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of countless women who have spoken up about their experiences, and to campaigners for their perseverance and great work promoting this service. From meeting with them, I know there is much to do to improve services on the ground.

We will always listen to women and families as we reform our NHS and maternity services, to make sure everyone gets the care and compassion they deserve.

Baby loss certificates were first launched in February 2024 but were only available to those who had experienced a loss since September 2018.

The voluntary service was extended by this government in October 2024 to allow all parents to apply, no matter when they lost their baby.

Sands’ Chief Executive Clea Harmer said:

It’s wonderful that baby loss certificates have enabled so many bereaved parents in England whose lives have been touched by pregnancy loss to get official recognition that their babies existed and matter.

The certificates are an important part of many people’s bereavement journey, and while we recognise they are not something everyone wants, we would like all bereaved parents to have that choice. Sands is here to offer understanding and emotional support for every bereaved parent and family, for as long as they need this.

Baroness Floella Benjamin OM DBE said:

The success of ‘Certificates of Loss’ is heartwarming as this was the vision of  Zoe Clark-Coates, founder of the Saying Goodbye charity, almost a decade ago. In parliament I was proud to work with her during those years as I personally knew what it was like to suffer several miscarriages. So applying for my certificates, like thousands of others, brought a great sense of comfort and formal recognition of our babies and I encourage others to so.

I hope this successful initiative will continue to provide solace to millions of parents long into the future.

Lead Bereavement Midwife, George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton and Co-lead and co-author of the ‘Independent Pregnancy Loss Review’, Samantha Collinge said:

The announcement today that 100,000 baby loss certificates have been issued to parents is a significant milestone, not just for Zoe and myself, the co-chairs and co-authors of the ‘Independent Pregnancy Loss Review’ which recommended this scheme to the government but for the millions of people who have experienced pre-24 weeks baby loss.

The huge number of certificates issued serves to demonstrate the real need for bereaved parents to have official recognition that their babies did exist and that their lives, however brief really do matter.

Being able to signpost families in our care to the certification scheme is a huge step forward for myself and my colleagues in the care that we deliver along the pre -24 week loss pathway and it is truly heartwarming when parents tell me how receiving a certificate in recognition of their precious baby has really helped them in their grief journey.

Zoe Clark-Coates MBE, Co-Chair & Author of The Pregnancy Loss Review

I am deeply moved by the overwhelmingly positive response from bereaved families to the new certificates of loss.

After nearly a decade of leading the campaign for their introduction with Mariposa International (sayinggoodbye.org) and dedicating 5.5 years to co-chairing and authoring the pregnancy loss review where we were able to bring them to pass, I am profoundly relieved and honoured that this vital recognition is now in the hands of those who need it most.

It is heartening to see that our efforts have provided comfort and acknowledgment during the most challenging times, and knowing these certificates will offer solace for decades to come is incredibly moving. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting every family on their grief journey.

Vicki Robinson, Chief Executive of the Miscarriage Association, said:

This is an important milestone and one that shows the vital role that recognition, support and understanding play in helping bereaved parents cope with their loss.

However early a pregnancy is lost, it can be felt as a bereavement like any other as people try to come to terms with the end of a very special set of hopes, dreams, and plans for the future.

These certificates provide official recognition that their baby existed, mattered, and will never be forgotten. The positive difference that makes to so many at an extremely distressing time cannot be overstated.

In November, the government announced new regulations which will fortify bread with folic acid, reducing neural tube defects by 20% in the UK. Alongside this, an extra £57 million has been allocated for Start for Life services to help expectant and new mothers with a range of services, from breastfeeding and mental health support.
Background information

Any parent can apply for a certificate following a loss before 24 weeks, or 28 weeks for a loss that happened before October 1992. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and live in England.

Request a baby loss certificate

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 8 April 2025.

• New figures show over 1,503 extra GPs have been hired through new scheme since 1 October
• Major recruitment boost comes after government removed red tape which made it difficult for surgeries to hire doctors
• Increased GP capacity will help fix the front door of the NHS and increase appointments to bring back the family doctor
• Milestone builds on Plan for Change’s progress, which has delivered two million appointments seven months early, and cut waiting lists by 193,000

New figures show an extra 1,503 GPs have been recruited since 1 October – thanks to government action.

The recruitment boost, part of the government’s Plan for Change will help to end the scandal of patients struggling to see a doctor – easing pressure on GPs and cutting waiting lists. Alongside changes to the GP contract for 2025-26, these additional GPs will help end the 8am scramble for appointments which so many patients currently endure every day.

When the government came into office, unnecessary red tape was preventing practices from hiring newly qualified GPs, meaning more than 1,000 were due to graduate into unemployment. At the same time, there were also 1,399 fewer fully qualified GPs than a decade prior, showing how years of underfunding and neglect had eroded GP services.

The government cut the red tape and invested an extra £82 million to allow networks of practices to hire the GPs, with the funding continuing past this year thanks to the extra funding announced at the Budget.

People in communities across England will be more readily able to receive the timely care they deserve, helping to shift healthcare from hospitals to the community.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

Rebuilding our broken NHS starts with fixing the front door. We inherited a ludicrous situation where patients couldn’t get a GP appointment, while GPs couldn’t get a job. By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have put an extra 1,503 GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments.

The extra investment and reforms we have made will allow patients to book appointments more easily, to help bring back the family doctor and end the 8am scramble.

It is only because of the necessary decisions we took to increase employer National Insurance that we are able to recruit more GPs and deliver better services for patients. The extra investment and reform this government is making, as part of its Plan for Change, will get the NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future.

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said:

I would like to thank the general practice teams that have employed significantly more than the 1,000 extra GPs promised to provide care for patients.

Improving access to general practice is an NHS priority and GP teams are delivering 29 million appointments every month – up a fifth since before the pandemic.

But we have more to do to make it easier for patients to see their local GP, so practice teams should continue to use this funding to best effect by recruiting more GPs, so more patients can be seen more quickly.

The recruitment of an additional 1,503 GPs was made possible by the tough but fair decisions the Chancellor took at the Budget to fix the foundations of the NHS, enabling the government to provide almost £26 billion to get the NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future.

Thanks to these decisions, the government has already delivered over two million extra appointments since July, meeting its target seven months early, and brought the waiting list down by 193,000.

Last year, the department added GPs to the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) and provided extra funding, meaning that GPs could be recruited more quickly by primary care networks (PCNs).

The government has since provided the biggest boost to GP funding in years – an extra £889 million on top of the existing budget for general practice in 2025-26.

The investment comes alongside new reforms to modernise general practice. GP surgeries must now allow patients to request appointments online throughout working hours from October, freeing up the phones for those who want to book over the phone, and making it easier for practices to triage patients based on medical need. More patients will also be able to book appointments with their regular doctor if they choose to, to bring back the family doctor.

Cutting waiting times and improving access to health care for patients is one of the government’s top priorities in its Plan for Change which is driving forward reform of the health service to rebuild our NHS and improve living standards, which are growing at their fastest rate in two years.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 April 2025.

80,000 patients have received a quicker diagnosis or ruling out of cancer in 28 days between July 2024 and January 2025 compared to the previous year.

• Government’s record £26 billion Budget investment into the NHS sees 80,000 more people having cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days
• Bold action to resolve strikes, increase funding into the NHS and get more teams working out of hours has transformed delivery for patients
• Cancer care at the heart of government plans to reform NHS through Plan for Change, with National Cancer Plan set to be published later this year

80,000 patients across the country have faced shorter waits for life-changing cancer diagnoses as a result of the government’s record investment in our NHS to cut waiting times, latest figures show.

The government’s Budget fixed the foundations of the economy to deliver a record £26 billion investment in our NHS to get it back on its feet and make it fit for the future as part of the Plan for Change. This investment, together with putting an end to industrial action, tackling waste and bringing in crucial reforms, are already transforming our NHS.

That includes a new drive to offer more appointments out of hours – which directly attributed to over three quarters (76.1%) of patients receiving their cancer diagnosis or all clear within 28 days from July 2024 to January 2025, up from 71.8% 12 months earlier.

As one of the biggest killers in the UK, it is vital that cancer patients get quick access to the testing they need. Faster diagnosis is linked to significantly improved cancer outcomes and means more patients can start treatment as quickly as possible.

Today’s figures show a clear improvement in performance, demonstrating how proper investment, along with a plan to put patients first, delivers on the commitments promised by the government to slash waiting lists – putting an end to the misery for many people who have not received the cancer care they require.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

This government made tough decisions at the Budget that put £26 billion into our NHS – and patients are already seeing the results.

Too many cancer patients are facing agonisingly long waits for diagnosis and treatment. As a survivor, I know first hand just how important it is to receive timely diagnosis so treatment can begin as quickly as possible.

We are on a mission to drive down waiting times and our Plan for Change is already getting patients seen and treated faster, with 80,000 more diagnosed or ruled out with cancer between July and January.

This is just the start and we will continue driving fundamental reform of the NHS to ensure it is delivering for all patients once again.

The government is delivering change working people can feel, with waiting lists cut by 193,000 since July – and alongside this, 2 million extra appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests also being delivered 7 months ahead of schedule.

But the government is going further and faster. The recently published Elective Reform Plan also commits to going even further for patients, through opening more Community Diagnostic Centres, taking the total to over 170 this year across England.

These sites will all be open for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week by March 2026, located in convenient places across the country to ensure patients have greater access to the tests, checks and scans they require. And on top of this, the government is also committing £1.5 billion to equip the health service with more surgical hubs and scanners to help catch more cancers earlier.

The recently published NHS Planning Guidance has committed to getting a further 100,000 people diagnosed on time by March 2026, with the government on track to deliver this significantly ahead of schedule.

With 2.8 million people expected to be living with cancer this year in England alone, improving outcomes for patients, including quicker diagnosis, is a key part of the government’s plans to cut waiting times and deliver fundamental NHS reform through the Plan for Change.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said:

Providing rapid access to tests ensures that people with cancer can start treatment as soon as possible when it is most likely to be successful, and will help to put people’s minds at rest if they don’t have cancer, so it is an important step forward that thousands more patients each month are getting the all-clear or a diagnosis within 4 weeks.

Thanks to the efforts of staff and NHS campaigns encouraging people to get worrying symptoms checked out or to take up our offer of screening, we are seeing more people coming forward than ever, and I encourage anyone who is overdue for a check or who has noticed changes in their body to contact their GP surgery as soon as possible so they can get checked.

Lord Darzi’s investigation into the NHS highlighted that the rate of improvement for cancer survival slowed substantially during the 2010s, and the government has been steadfast in its commitment to improving outcomes for patients.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:

Waiting for answers can be an incredibly worrying period for anyone affected, so we welcome the government’s commitment to further cut waits for cancer diagnosis and treatment this year.

The UK government has the opportunity to improve things further and faster with their upcoming National Cancer Plan for England. More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before, and our health service needs a long term plan to be able to properly prepare and help people live longer, better lives.

Eve Byrne, Director of National System Change at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

We welcome these changes and the positive impact this will have on people living with cancer.

We are looking forward to working with the government to transform cancer care by developing the National Cancer Plan. This is an opportunity to make sure everybody in the UK can access world-class cancer care, whoever they are, wherever they may be based.

Alongside the 10 Year Health Plan, the government will also publish its National Cancer Plan this year, with a call for evidence now live to encourage cancer experts, people living with cancer, and medical professionals to help shape its development.

A new UK Collaborative for Cancer Clinical Research is also being launched to provide coordination, target investment, and maximise opportunities for the UK to lead in clinical research. This will help to unlock innovation and growth.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 April 2025.

Ending doctor strikes saved 500,000 appointments and operations, and cut waiting lists by 193,000.

• 500,000 appointments and operations saved as a result of government action to resolve painful strikes within 4 weeks of office
• Strikes contributed to an extra 140,000 increase to waiting list, causing pain and misery to patients across the country
• Patients feeling the benefits with government delivering 2 million more appointments 7 months early and cutting waiting lists by 193,000 through Plan for Change

An estimated half a million appointments and operations avoided being cancelled in the second half of last year thanks to swift action from the government to end resident doctor strikes within 4 weeks of office.

Data shows a total of 507,000 appointments and operations were cancelled and rescheduled between July 2023 and February 2024 during periods of disruptive strike action, causing pain and misery to patients across the country, and hitting an already broken NHS with more damage. This put huge pressure on hardworking staff, with NHS England analysis showing that this added 140,000 more to the waiting lists this government inherited.

On his very first day in government, the Health and Social Care Secretary got round the table with resident doctors, securing a fair deal for patients and staff after 4 weeks, getting doctors back on the frontline treating patients.

The progress the government has made in starting to fix the NHS after 14 years of decline shows the transformatory effect of the Plan for Change.

Since July, over 2 million extra appointments have been delivered – 7 months early – and the waiting list slashed by 193,000. Patients up and down the country are beginning to feel a real difference after a decade of neglect – and in some cases after waiting years to get the care they need.

Cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s top priorities through its Plan for Change, which is driving forward reform of the health service to put patients first, rebuild our NHS and improve living standards, which are growing at their fastest rate in 2 years.

Making up around 50% of the medical workforce, resident doctors play a pivotal role for patients. When staff stood on the picket lines, waiting lists soared, leaving people in pain and out of work as a result of not being able to get the care they need. By bringing to an end months of devastating strikes, patients have significantly felt the benefits, getting the care they need without disruption.

Since July, the government has made it a priority to get 92% of patients seen within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament. Through the recently published elective reform plan, patients will begin to have more control over their care, to end the needless suffering of those stuck on a waiting list.

The plan also makes it easier for patients to access the appointments they need, through the opening of more community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs, in more convenient locations closer to their homes, keeping them out of hospital. And through bringing the NHS App into the digital era, individuals will be able to take control of their personal health plans, by accessing key documentation and appointment data online, in a timeline that works around their lives.

With over 2 million extra NHS appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy and diagnostic tests already being delivered 7 months early, and through its Plan for Change, the government is on its way to ending the misery felt by millions of patients up and down the country who are waiting for the appointments they need.

Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:

Half a million operations stopped because of strike action weren’t just an inconvenience. They meant hundreds of thousands of patients living through more pain, more stress and more disappointment.

That’s exactly why within days of coming into office, I got round the table with resident doctors and put an end to these crippling strikes.

It was a tough negotiation, but we came out with a fair offer, and patients immediately started seeing the benefit.

Thanks to this government putting doctors back on the frontline, we’ve cut waiting lists by 193,000. We are fixing the broken foundations of our NHS through our Plan for Change so patients can get back to work and doing what they love.

Data on industrial action in the NHS is available on the NHS website.