The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department does not hold data on the proportion of patients referred with suspected heart failure receiving an echocardiogram within the diagnostic timeframes.

No such assessment has been made of the number of additional specialist heart failure nurses required to meet current and projected demand.

The Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to ensure the National Health Service has skilled staff where patients need them. The plan will set out the action we will take to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the renal nursing workforce as a distinct professional group. Workforce considerations for specialist areas, including renal services, will be considered as part of the wider assessment of current and future workforce demand and supply through the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan.

The updated Renal Service Specification is progressing through NHS England’s governance and approval processes and will be published in due course.

The Renal Services Transformation Programme sets out high-impact changes which includes earlier identification and management of chronic kidney disease, increasing home dialysis towards the Getting It Right First Time ambition of 20%, and improving access to pre-emptive transplantation. Kidney networks are working with commissioners and providers to implement these changes and increase provision across their populations.

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework reinforces the importance of identifying and managing kidney disease at an earlier stage as part of reducing cardiovascular risk and premature mortality.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 April to Question 129604.

It is the responsibility of local employers to ensure that all job descriptions for their staff are up to date, and that pay bands are correct.

As part of the Department’s commitment to nursing in England, announced on 11 February, National Health Service trusts have been asked to review the work of every band 5 nursing role in line with the Job Evaluation Scheme to ensure that job descriptions and pay bands reflect the work that nurses are being asked to do.

The NHS Staff Council has been provided with a mandate to negotiate changes to the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay structures in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including in relation to Band 5 clinical NHS staff, which includes nurses. The NHS Staff Council is the national partnership body that brings together NHS employers and recognised trade unions to negotiate and agree the national terms and conditions for AfC staff.

These negotiations are ongoing, and any changes will be backdated to 1 April 2026.

The department recognises that the student finance system we inherited is not working as fairly or effectively as it should and we are constantly looking for financially sustainable ways to make the system fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers.

Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold (£29,385) and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial year.

Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy. The 9% over-threshold repayment rate keeps higher education (HE) funding sustainable and ensures the costs are shared fairly between students and taxpayers.

Reducing the repayment rate to 5% would significantly increase the cost to taxpayers, many of whom have not attended university, which in turn would undermine the sustainability of HE funding.

The student loans system inherited by the department, including Plan 2 loans, was devised by the previous government.

This government increased the Plan 2 repayment threshold in 2025 for the first time since 2021. It increased the threshold again to £29,385 on 6 April 2026 and will remain at this level until April 2030, after which it will increase annually in line with inflation. The threshold freeze was introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers.

The department produced the following analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds:

The department will publish an equality impact assessment covering the Plan 2 repayment and interest threshold freezes announced at Autumn Budget 2025, including their effect on lifetime repayments and other borrower outcomes. Published results may differ from the figures above because of subsequent model and data updates.

Higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.

Higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.

No such assessment has been made. The Amputee Rehabilitation and Prosthetics Services for People of All Ages with Limb Loss and Limb Difference service specification sets out the minimum standards expected of all services in England including availability of staff. Liaison nurses in integrated care boards are not a national service requirement. The service specification was developed following extensive engagement with patient groups and staff.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that National Health Service organisations have the appropriate workforce to support the delivery of clinical trials, including trials of brain cancer treatments.

Decisions about the composition and deployment of clinical research teams are for individual host organisations, based on their research portfolio, clinical priorities, patient population, and workforce requirements. This may include the appointment of research nurses with specialist expertise in particular disease areas where this is appropriate.

The Government does not currently mandate a particular staffing model but provides support with funding through the National Institute of Health and Care Research to develop the capacity and capability to deliver research, expecting host organisations to ensure that they have the appropriate resources and expertise to deliver the clinical research undertaken at their sites.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she was provided on 8 September in response to Question 22549.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she was provided on 8 September in response to Question 22549.

The Government is committed to ensuring the general practice (GP) nursing workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do.

The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for National Health Service staff, including both contractor and salaried GPs. They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.

The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended a 3.5% uplift for contractor general medical practitioners and salaried GP pay ranges. As with last year, we accepted the DDRB’s recommendation on headline pay in full. We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs.

To implement this through the GP Contract, as the DDRB’s recommendation was higher than the assumed pay growth of 2.5%, we provided a 1% top-up to the pay elements of the contract on a consolidated basis.

The additional funding also allows for pay uplifts for other salaried GP staff, including nurses. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is up to practices how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff.

The maximum reimbursable amounts for roles employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), including practice nurses, will also be uplifted in line with the relevant review body recommendations and ARRS budgets will be increased to reflect this.

GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on practices with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions.

The Government is committed to ensuring the general practice (GP) nursing workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do.

The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for National Health Service staff, including both contractor and salaried GPs. They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.

The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended a 3.5% uplift for contractor general medical practitioners and salaried GP pay ranges. As with last year, we accepted the DDRB’s recommendation on headline pay in full. We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs.

To implement this through the GP Contract, as the DDRB’s recommendation was higher than the assumed pay growth of 2.5%, we provided a 1% top-up to the pay elements of the contract on a consolidated basis.

The additional funding also allows for pay uplifts for other salaried GP staff, including nurses. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is up to practices how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff.

The maximum reimbursable amounts for roles employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), including practice nurses, will also be uplifted in line with the relevant review body recommendations and ARRS budgets will be increased to reflect this.

GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on practices with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions.