An independent evaluation of the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocates pilot delivered across 16 integrated care boards was conducted from October 2024 to June 2025 by the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Rapid Service Evaluation Team. It found clear value, including ensuring that families’ concerns contribute to service improvement. It also identified uncertainty regarding scale, delivery model, and cost-effectiveness of the service, alongside the need for better integration in existing maternity and neonatal systems.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan to reform maternity and neonatal services. It will consider improvements to investigations and reviews, ensuring families get the support they need during these difficult times.

We have been working to ensure that the up to £34 million per year investment in criminal legal aid advocate fees delivers the greatest possible impact and lasting benefit. It will support the long-term sustainability of the advocate profession while aligning with broader criminal justice reforms.

We intend to launch a consultation shortly, setting out our proposals for this investment. On 3 July 2026, we laid a statutory instrument to invest £3.5 million of this funding in preparatory fees, ensuring that investment reaches the criminal Bar as quickly as possible.

Last year the Government revived the Pensions Commission to explore the adequacy, fairness and sustainability of the pensions system and consider how to improve retirement outcomes for future generations of retirees. The Pensions Commission is engaging with and considering the views of a wide range of stakeholders as they complete their work, and this includes groups representing the views and needs of older people

The Pensions Commission published their interim report on 19 May 2026 setting out the key challenges facing the current pensions system and where it will focus its work next. Alongside their interim report, the Pensions Commission launched a Call for Views, open until 14 July, inviting responses from any interested stakeholders on the Commission’s view of the challenges facing pensions in the long-term future. This can be found on GOV.UK Pensions 2050: evidence and future priorities – interim report - GOV.UK

The Commission will publish its final report and recommendations early next year.

There are a range of other safeguards which protect individuals who are not subject to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These include the Mental Capacity Act 2005 provisions, local authority safeguarding duties through the Care Act 2014, oversight by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and common law duties of care.

Any independent monitoring required as part of the care plan of individuals receiving care and support would continue, even if they are not subject to DoLS. As part of their inspection regime, the CQC checks that providers, in a range of care and support settings, have effective systems to help keep adults safe from abuse and neglect, including potential infringements of the personal autonomy and the rights of individuals receiving care and support.

The CQC also has a duty to assess how local authorities are delivering their duties under the Care Act, including those relating to safeguarding. Where the CQC finds failure, it has a duty to inform my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who has powers to intervene.

The Department published on the GOV.UK website on 15 June 2026 a response to the judgement which provides initial steers to practitioners and all those involved in supporting individuals where there is a deprivation of liberty. We are working with a range of stakeholders to develop follow-up guidance as quickly as possible. A copy of the response is attached.

The Government remains firmly committed to safeguarding and protecting the rights of people lacking capacity. The deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) will continue to apply in line with changes required by the Supreme Court judgment. This includes the right to independent reviews and advocacy where appropriate.

The Department published an update on GOV.UK on 15 June in response to the judgement, a copy of which is attached. The update includes initial steers on what the judgment means, including for valid consent, for practitioners and all those involved in supporting individuals where is a deprivation of liberty. We are working with a range of stakeholder partners and charities to develop follow-up guidance as quickly as possible. The update is attached below.

Individuals receiving care and support who are not subject to DoLS can also access independent reviews and advocacy where appropriate under a range of other safeguards available, including the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Care Act 2014.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertakes independent oversight of these safeguards, including DoLS, and will continue to do so in light of the Supreme Court judgment. As part of their inspection regime, CQC checks that care settings and providers have effective systems to help keep adults safe from abuse and neglect, including those subject to DoLS and those not subject to DoLS.

The Government remains firmly committed to safeguarding and protecting the rights of people lacking capacity. The deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) are only one of several protections in place, and there are a range of other safeguards which are available to individuals who are not subject to DoLS. These include the Mental Capacity Act 2005 provisions, local authority safeguarding duties through the Care Act 2014, oversight by the Care Quality Commission, and common law duties of care. Through these, individuals not subject to DoLS, who are receiving care and support, would be able to access independent advocacy as well as independent scrutiny of their care, including consideration of whether there is proportionate use of restrictive practice where appropriate.

The Department published an update on the GOV.UK website on 15 June in response to the judgement, in an online-only format. The update includes initial steers on what the judgment means, including for valid consent, for practitioners and all those involved in supporting individuals where there is a deprivation of liberty. We are working with a range of stakeholder partners and charities to develop follow-up guidance as quickly as possible.

The Government remains firmly committed to safeguarding and protecting the rights of people lacking capacity. The deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) are only one of several protections in place, and there are a range of other safeguards which are available to individuals who are not subject to DoLS. These include the Mental Capacity Act 2005 provisions, local authority safeguarding duties through the Care Act 2014, oversight by the Care Quality Commission, and common law duties of care. Through these, individuals not subject to DoLS, who are receiving care and support, would be able to access independent advocacy as well as independent scrutiny of their care, including consideration of whether there is proportionate use of restrictive practice where appropriate.

The Department published an update on the GOV.UK website on 15 June in response to the judgement, in an online-only format. The update includes initial steers on what the judgment means, including for valid consent, for practitioners and all those involved in supporting individuals where there is a deprivation of liberty. We are working with a range of stakeholder partners and charities to develop follow-up guidance as quickly as possible.

The Government is clear that access to justice is fundamental, particularly where proceedings engage an individual’s liberty and other fundamental rights. That is why legal aid is available for the most serious health and welfare matters before the Court of Protection. The Ministry of Justice is considering the Supreme Court’s judgment and will review any further guidance issued from the Department of Health and Social Care to assess the impact on current legal aid provision.

The Government remains firmly committed to safeguarding and protecting the rights of people lacking capacity. The Department published an update on GOV.UK on 15 June 2026 in response to the judgement.

We are working with a range of stakeholder partners and charities to develop follow-up guidance as quickly as possible. There are currently no plans to consult publicly on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment.

There has been no assessment of the potential impact of that judgment on access to independent scrutiny, advocacy and legal remedies for people who lack mental capacity. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are one of several ways that United Kingdom legislation protects people’s rights.  The Care Act 2014 provides explicit safeguards for adults with care and support needs.

As recommended by Baroness Casey, we are working at pace to set up a new National Adult Safeguarding Board to strengthen national oversight and accountability of the safeguarding system and to and to undertake a review of adult safeguarding statutory duties and powers.

Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations, including general practices, are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS across NHS organisations, including integrated care boards, with awareness raising, communication, and engagement. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.

In addition, NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag (RADF) which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably.

Under the new RADF information standard, all publicly funded health and social care service providers must be able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. This means that IT systems must be able to read the information stored in reasonable adjustment digital flags and update records as and when an individual’s adjustment needs change.

Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations, including general practices, are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS across NHS organisations, including integrated care boards, with awareness raising, communication, and engagement. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.

In addition, NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag (RADF) which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably.

Under the new RADF information standard, all publicly funded health and social care service providers must be able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. This means that IT systems must be able to read the information stored in reasonable adjustment digital flags and update records as and when an individual’s adjustment needs change.