theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of sending letters on the GP Patient Survey in the last 12 months; how many letters were sent to recipients; and whether any patients were contacted by e-mail. \p Stephen Kinnock: The GP Patient Survey (GPPS) has been carried out in England for nineteen years. It is currently conducted by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England. In total for the 2024 survey, Ipsos sent 2.56 million invite letters and 2.28 million reminder letters asking people to complete the survey, incurring a cost of £2.16 million for paper, printing and postage.

In 2024, costs dropped by £0.9 million (from £4.7 million in 2023 to £3.8 million in 2024) after NHS England introduced a push-to-web methodology. People were sent initial invite letters asking them to complete the survey online, reminded by e-letters where possible and only at the final reminder stage sent a paper questionnaire to complete.

NHS England is exploring additional opportunities for cost savings, including by adding extra contact by email or the NHS App.

However, postal contact remains vital for representation, inclusivity and data quality. Because we have incomplete coverage of email addresses and mobile telephone numbers, an online-only methodology would exclude many people. Additionally, online-only survey approaches tend to yield lower response rates, potentially compromising the quality and representativeness of the data.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Mott MacDonald on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete of April 2022, what recent assessment he has made of whether the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn will be able to operate safely beyond 2030. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The Plan for Implementation was laid in the House Library and published on GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome

We will expedite the delivery of the schemes to replace hospitals built wholly or primarily from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) by focussing on the most affected buildings and services first. As confirmed in this publication, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned a comprehensive report of the seven hospitals built wholly or primarily from RAAC that are being replaced through the New Hospital Programme, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, as the last report was undertaken in Autumn 2022 and covered five of the seven RAAC hospitals. The site-by-site report on all seven RAAC hospitals will help inform individual development plans, which include continued mitigation works and addressing the highest risk elements as early as possible through the phasing of works. The report will be based on an up-to-date assessment of the safety of the hospital site now, and in future.

The Department is in the final stages of the contract award with third party contractors to provide an updated report on the condition of the seven critical RAAC hospitals, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. Once the contract is finalised it will be available publicly, including the information on who is conducting the work, on contract finder, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

We remain committed to removing RAAC fully from the NHS estate whilst working to keep facilities open, with patient and staff safety at the forefront of our decision making.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the NHS sight test fee; and if he will take steps to increase that fee. \p Stephen Kinnock: The level of the National Health Service sight test fee is considered annually and takes into account discussions with the Optical Fee Negotiating Committee, consideration of patient access to sight testing services, which continue to be widely available, and affordability for the NHS.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to hormone replacement therapy prescriptions through GPs for trans patients; and what steps he is taking to support trans patients' access to hormone replacement therapy prescriptions through GPs. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services which will look at how to overcome the challenges that some individuals face in accessing a timely prescription.

NHS England has more than doubled investment in gender dysphoria services, increasing the number of adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics in England from seven to 12 since July 2020, with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics. This will help tackle long waiting times, which have increased due to a shortage of specialist clinical staff to meet the rapidly rising demand.   To support general practitioners (GPs) in prescribing for adults with gender dysphoria, these pilot clinics are led by primary care and staffed by specialist GPs who are available to provide quick and effective support to colleagues.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ position statement on the role of the GP in transgender healthcare sets out that GPs should liaise and work with Gender Identity Clinics in the same way as with any other specialist. This includes consideration of prescribing under a shared care agreement.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) invest in diagnostic infrastructure and (b) reduce waiting times. \p Karin Smyth: The Darzi Report highlights the significant underinvestment of capital in the National Health Service, with outdated scanners, too little automation, and a failure to enter the digital era. Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need, including diagnostic testing, which is key to the majority of elective and cancer pathways.

Currently, the elective waiting list stands at 7.48 million patient pathways, with over six million people waiting. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reforms needed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) constitutional standard by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. This will include ensuring the diagnostic capacity needed to deliver on the standard.

The Elective Reform Plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the RTT standard. This includes investment in Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), expanding the number of CDCs operating seven days a week and 12 hours a day, as well as the tests they offer. We will also develop and roll out Straight to Test pathways, reducing the time taken for patients to receive a test, as well further improvements to the NHS’ digital capabilities. An investment of approximately £1.5 billion, as announced in the Autumn Budget, will enable diagnostics services to build on these foundations in 2025/26, to ensure diagnostic services are fit for the future. This will ensure that patients receive the diagnostic care where and when they need it, including for subtype diagnoses.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the costs for the Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton were estimated. \p Karin Smyth: Details on the multi-criteria decision support analysis tool, and how it was applied during the review, can be found in the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, published on 20 January on the GOV.UK website, and available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementation

Integrated care boards (ICBs) will collectively receive over £4 billion in annual capital allocations in 2025/26, which will be managed locally, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including maintenance at New Hospital Programme sites. Recently published National Health Service planning guidance sets out the NHS’s operational capital envelopes, national capital programmes, including a £750 million estates safety fund, and allocation processes for 2025/26. I would encourage the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to discuss options with the South West London ICB, to allocate operational capital and national capital programme allocations towards repairs at their sites.

Final costs of schemes are subject to the approval of a Full Business Case. Cost estimates produced to enable planning during the business case development process are based on a variety of data which is generated by both the trust and the programme, and includes the capacity, design, and location of the hospital, the enabling works requirements, and the clinical requirements.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any senior directors of NHS England were paid performance bonuses in financial years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes the performance bonus information for its national directors in their annual accounts. No national directors were paid a bonus in 2023/24, and bonuses will not be paid for 2024/25. NHS England’s latest annual report and accounts has been published and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-england-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024

The following table shows the latest published Executive Senior Manager (ESM) pay framework from 2021, which applies to the East of England region:

Role grade

Pay bands

Minimum

Operational max

Max exception zone

ESM 1

£90,900

£113,625

£131,300

ESM 2

£131,301

£146,450

£161,600

ESM 3

£161,601

£176,750

£191,900

ESM 4

£191,901

£207,050

£222,200

Although not all posts are currently filled, the number of permanent posts by grade in the region are as follows:

NHS England’s regional communications functions are currently centrally employed. This resource is then provided to regions to support their work. There are eight posts, specifically seven staff and one vacancy, providing communications, media, and engagement support to the National Health Service in the East of England in meeting its statutory and constitutional responsibilities on engaging with the public and helping patients find the right services.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the salary band is of the Chief Operating Officer of the NHS East of England. \p Karin Smyth: The salary bands for the Regional Director, Finance Director, Strategy Director, and Chief Operating Officer for NHS East of England are as follows:

These bandings are the same across all of NHS England for these roles.
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Liam Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the planned funding allocations for Birmingham and Solihull NHS ICB are in each year for which figures are available. \p Karin Smyth: Funding allocations for the Birmingham and Solihull NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) for 2025/26 were recently published online by NHS England alongside 2025/26 NHS Planning Guidance. The following table shows the funding allocations for the Birmingham and Solihull NHS ICB for 2025/26:

Allocation

2025/26 amount

ICB core programme

£3,124,548,000

ICB delegated specialised services

£491,587,000

ICB primary medical care

£312,120,000

ICB pharmacy, ophthalmic, and dental services

£151,387,000

ICB running cost allowance

£21,741,000

Funding beyond 2025/26 will be determined following Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude later this year.
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Helena Dollimore:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Department spent a total of £1,500, including VAT, on media training for ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024. There was no expenditure on voice training for ministers during this period.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for publishing the Maternity and Neonatal Estates Review. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England will publish the findings of the National Health Service maternity and neonatal estates survey, which examined compliance against the current standards for estates, including the requirements of neonatal parental accommodation. The Government’s response to the House of Lords Pre-term Birth Inquiry committed to publishing the survey in early 2025, and the ambition remains to publish it as soon as possible.
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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of extending the funding for women's health hubs beyond March 2025. \p Karin Smyth: At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over this year and the next. Building a National Health Service fit for the future is one of the five missions of the Government.

Women’s health hubs aim to improve access to and experiences of care, improve health outcomes for women, and reduce health inequalities. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health care needs of their local population, which includes women's health hubs.
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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out a timeline for implementation of measures to improve miscarriage care recommended in the Pregnancy Loss Review published on 22 July 2023. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that experiencing a miscarriage can be an extremely difficult time, and we are determined to make sure that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong. We will ensure that we listen to women and their families, and learn lessons from recent inquiries and investigations, including the Pregnancy Loss Report.

Since publication we have launched the Baby Loss Certificate Service, updated the Human Tissue Authority Guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains, and NHS England has published a new policy to support National Health Service employees and provide managers with advice on how to support people affected by baby loss, including paid leave.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the NHS East of England headquarters. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS England East of England regional whole time equivalent for this establishment is 637. This is the number of posts, rather than the number of staff currently employed. The data for the total number of full-time equivalent staff employed is unvalidated and is subject to change, so it is not routinely published.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to prevent health companies based overseas from selling hormone treatments online to people living in the UK. \p Karin Smyth: In response to recommendations by the Commission on Human Medicines, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an indefinite ban on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues for new patients with gender dysphoria and/or incongruence. This legislation came into effect on 1 January 2025 as the previous section 62 emergency order expired, and is available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1319/made

This indefinite order continues to prohibit the sale or supply of GnRH analogues prescribed by private United Kingdom-registered prescribers, for gender dysphoria or gender incongruence, to under 18 year olds not already taking them, and the sale and supply of the drugs against prescriptions from prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, for any purposes, to anyone under 18 years old.

Regarding other hormone treatments, we would always recommend patients use services and clinical practitioners registered in the UK so they can be assured of the safety and quality of the services they receive. Medicines bought outside the legal supply chain do not have a UK marketing authorisation and may be harmful. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency works with national and international partners to prevent unlicensed medicines from entering the UK.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the operating deficit for the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust for financial years (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26. \p Karin Smyth: Trusts report their deficit position in their board reports, which are published on their websites. In 2023/24, the Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust reported an operating deficit of £29.7 million, resulting in the organisation being placed into the National Recovery Support Programme to receive support for improving its financial position.

The 2024/25 financial plan for the foundation trust was a deficit of £84.6 million, for which the organisation has received deficit support funding from NHS England. Following receipt of this funding, the foundation trust is forecast to breakeven, although this requires the trust to deliver improved positions in the final months of the year, as there is a year-to-date deficit at month seven of £23.1 million, according to their latest board report.

NHS England recently published 2025/6 Planning Guidance to support system financial planning for 2025/26. Finalised system financial plans for 2025/26 are currently being developed ahead of the start of the financial year, and so are not yet available.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any directors of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust were paid any form of bonuses in financial years (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25. \p Karin Smyth: Information on the renumeration, including bonuses, of senior staff is published by hospital trusts as part of their annual report and accounts. It is for the local Remuneration Committee of each National Health Service trust to approve bonuses for directors. The information for the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust is available at the following link:

https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports?smbfolder=150
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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that private parking companies do not overcharge for facilities at hospitals. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service trusts are expected to comply with the NHS car parking guidance 2022 for NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts. This guidance states that charges, where they exist, should be reasonable for the area. This applies to all NHS trusts, including those that use private parking companies to operate their hospital car parks.

NHS organisations are responsible for the actions of the private contractors who run car parks on their behalf, and NHS organisations should act against rogue contractors in line with the relevant codes of practice where applicable.

Contracts should not be let on any basis that incentivises additional charges, for example income from parking charge notices only.

All NHS trusts that charge for car parking provide free hospital car parking in England for those most in need. This includes Blue Badge holders, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of sick children staying overnight in hospital, and NHS staff working night shifts. The Department has issued guidance to NHS trusts on the implementation of this commitment.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of Elacestrant. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by the NICE, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive NICE draft guidance.

The NICE recommended elacestrant as an option for treating oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with an ESR1 mutation after endocrine treatment in final draft guidance on 19 December 2024, and it is now funded for eligible patients in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund. Final guidance is due to publish on 5 February 2025.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence develop guidance on mild cognitive impairment. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops its guidance independently, on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence.

To support timely decision making regarding the use of disease-modifying dementia treatments (DMDTs) in the National Health Service, and to facilitate the development of useful and useable NICE guidance, the NICE’s Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory identified the key issues that might arise during the evaluation of DMDTs and concluded that the NICE’s current approach and methods are appropriate for evaluating these treatments.

The NICE is currently evaluating two new licensed disease-modifying treatments for treating mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and has been unable to recommend them in its draft guidance. However, the NICE has not yet published final guidance and will take the comments received in response to its draft guidance fully into account in developing its final recommendations.

A number of other disease-modifying treatments for dementia are in late-stage development and are expected to come to market in the next few years. To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, NHS England is working to ensure the diagnostic and treatment capacity, clinical pathway redesign, and investment are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE recommended treatments as soon as possible.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) public health and (b) adult social care services in reducing the demand on (i) primary and (ii) acute services in South Derbyshire constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: 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.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of Child Death Overview Panels cited consanguinity as the (a) primary and (b) secondary cause of death of children in each of the last 30 years. \p Karin Smyth: 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.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 5537 on Bowel Cancer: Screening, whether he expects bowel screening for 50 year-olds to be completed by (a) autumn or (b) winter 2025. \p Andrew Gwynne: 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.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the British Medical Association on proposals to pay GPs £20 per request for undertaking advice and guidance with hospital specialists. \p Stephen Kinnock: In the Elective Reform Plan, the Government has proposed a £20 payment to general practitioners (GPs) per advice and guidance request. We expect this to increase the usage of advice and guidance, and help patients receive the care they need in primary and community settings, instead of being added to the elective waiting list. This funding will help deliver up to four million advice requests from GPs in 2025/26, up from 2.4 million in 2023/24, which we expect could increase diversions from elective care from 1.2 million in 2023/24 to two million in 2025/26.

We are consulting with the General Practitioners Committee in England, of the British Medical Association, on the 2025/26 GP Contract, and will consider a range of proposed policy changes, including advice and guidance. These will be announced in the usual way following the close of the consultation in 2025.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of urgent mental health support for people in rural areas; and what steps he is taking to help ensure equitable service provision compared to urban areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations. We plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England, to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

Anyone in England who needs urgent mental health support can now speak to a trained National Health Service professional at any time through a new mental health option on NHS 111. Trained NHS staff will assess patients over the phone and guide callers with next steps such organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternatives services, such as crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or hospital admission.

As set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, we are also committing £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres, reducing pressure on busy emergency mental health and accident and emergency services, and ensuring that people have the support they need when they need it.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand the availability of veteran-specific mental health services in (a) rural and (b) deprived areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England commissions Op COURAGE, the integrated mental health and wellbeing service, which allows veterans to make self-referrals.

The service has been designed to support veterans from all areas, including rural and deprived areas, and is delivered from a range of locations, including National Health Service trusts, general practices, Poppy Shops, veteran hubs, and drop-in centres. Elements of the service may also be provided online, if this is clinically appropriate. The Government recognises that not all veterans want to use veteran-specific mental health services and can instead choose to use mainstream NHS services, such as Talking Therapies, which are available to both veterans and civilians.

Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations, taking into account local considerations such as access to services in rural areas.

The Government recognises that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are too long. We are determined to change this and ensure that mental health has the same focus as physical health, to help people in rural areas access high quality mental health support when they need it.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of adequacy of the diagnostic capacity of memory clinics in Oxfordshire. \p Stephen Kinnock: Cutting waiting lists, including for diagnostic tests, is a key priority for the Government. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services, and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, builds on the investments already made with an ambitious vision for the future of diagnostic testing. This will include more straight-to-test pathways, increasing and expanding Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), and better use of technology.

With 170 CDCs due to be up and running by the end of March 2025, CDCs can take on more of the growing diagnostic demand within elective care. We will also deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new ones.

In Oxfordshire, we are currently working with the local population, including patients, carers, Age UK, and clinicians in primary care, mental health services, and acute hospital services, to develop a new strategy, Living Well with Dementia, to be implemented from April 2025. Within this work we are seeking to increase the rate of diagnosis by streamlining the referral processes into diagnostic and memory clinics, as well as the alignment with the other services that might be needed.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) social care providers on expanding opportunities for social prescribing. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department and NHS England work closely together to deliver the social prescribing work programme.

I met with representatives of the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) on 13 January, a key stakeholder in this field. At the meeting, I confirmed that the Department recognises the value of social prescribing for addressing the wider determinants of health. The NASP shared reports on the evidence for social prescribing and future opportunities for the development of work that they have identified.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

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Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs savings to the NHS of providing universal access to Fracture Liaison Services in each year. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.

Costs savings to the National Health Service will be assessed taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_57

Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost savings to social care budgets of providing universal access to Fracture Liaison Services each year. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.

Impacts will be assessed, including adult social care budgets, taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_58

Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on acute hospital bed usage of universal access to Fracture Liaison Services. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.

Impacts will be assessed, including on acute hospital bed usage, taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_59

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NHS East of England plans to publish an annual report for 2024-25. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service East of England is a regional team within NHS England, and as such they do not publish an annual report. The NHS England’s annual report and accounts includes the regional teams, other NHS England operations, and group bodies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_60

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Minister for Health and Secondary Care plans to respond to the correspondence of 6 November 2024 from the hon. Member for Hazel Grove on funding for Stepping Hill Hospital. \p Karin Smyth: I replied to the hon. Member on 29 January 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_61

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the universal provision of Fracture Liaison Services by 2030. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to a Fracture Liaison Service. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_62

Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on health outcomes of universal access to Fracture Liaison Services. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to a Fracture Liaison Service. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.

Costs and benefits will be assessed, taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_63

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce has made. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department will be relaunching the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce in the coming weeks. Dame Caroline Dinenage and Professor Darren Hargrave have been appointed as its co-chairs, alongside Dr Sharna Shanmugavadivel as vice-chair.

The taskforce will examine clinical and non-clinical ways to improve outcomes and patient experience for children and young people with cancer. This will feed into the Department’s wider work on the national cancer plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_64

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the needs of people affected by brain tumours are considered in the Cancer Plan. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and the value in engaging in wide-ranging and meaningful engagement and consultation on how cancer services can meet the needs of those living with cancer, including for those affected by brain tumours. We plan to engage with a wide range of cancer partners, including charities and patient representative bodies.

The Health Mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future. As part of that work, Lord Darzi’s report will inform our 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. In addition, following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including brain tumour patients.

We are now in discussions about what form the National Cancer Plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be, and will provide updates on this in due course.

Alongside this work, the Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research (NIHR) are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.

NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. As well as this, all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker.

Further to this, in September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_65

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnosis, (b) treatments and (c) support from clinical nurse specialists for (i) patients and (ii) families affected by brain tumours. \p Andrew Gwynne: We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer, including brain cancer, on time, diagnosing it earlier and treating it faster, so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. To do this, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce cancer waits.

In September 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.

NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. As well as this, all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear in his view that there should be a National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, including for brain cancer. We are currently in discussions about what form a potential National Cancer Plan for England should take, including its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission, and will provide updates in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_66

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) physical, (b) emotional and (c) financial support for people diagnosed with (i) Pulmonary Fibrosis and (ii) Interstitial Lung Disease. \p Andrew Gwynne: NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of interstitial lung disease (ILD) services, and funds the anti-fibrotic treatments that are part of the treatment pathway for ILD. The national service specification describes the standards required of clinical teams to support patients physically and emotionally with the diagnosis and management of ILD. Further information on the national service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interstitial-lung-disease-adults-service-specification/

NHS England is also supporting systems to improve outcomes for people with a range of respiratory conditions, for example through enabling access to pulmonary rehabilitation through the publication of commissioning standards together with the provision of funding. NHS England has also extended the scope of the National Respiratory Audit Programme’s pulmonary rehabilitation audit so that all patients who participate in pulmonary rehabilitation are captured in the audit, irrespective of their condition. Along with providing a more complete picture of participation, the decision to extend was made to recognise and reinforce the value of pulmonary rehabilitation to all who are eligible with chronic respiratory conditions other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including ILD.

The energy costs associated with using oxygen concentrators at home are reimbursed, however no decision has been made to extend this to other medical devices such as complex home ventilation, syringe drivers, electric wheelchairs, or other disability aids.