Written questions by Jogee.

What recent steps he has taken to improve access to NHS dentistry in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, this is Staffordshire and Stoke-on Trent ICB.We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. Staffordshire and Stoke-on Trent ICB is expected to deliver 16,190 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

What recent estimate he has made of the number of people with dementia in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England in the next five years.

No specific estimate has been made for the number of people with dementia in the next five years.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of missed medication in hospitals on Parkinson’s patients in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Hospital providers across England, including hospitals in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) area, are responsible for ensuring that patients within hospital settings, including those with Parkinson’s disease, receive their appropriate medication on time. There are tools to support both patients and staff to achieve this. Electronic prescribing systems, currently in use in 85% of hospitals in England, enable in-depth monitoring and reporting on missed or delayed dosing of medications.As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan, we will support people with long-term conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, across England, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the wider Staffordshire area, to better manage their condition, including managing their medication. As part of the NHS App, the My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions and remind them when to take their medications, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and will bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to decide whether their data is shared in real-time with care teams, so they can proactively monitor health and intervene when necessary.Guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Parkinson’s disease in adults highlights the importance of patients getting Parkinson’s medicines on time to prevent harmful effects. The NICE guidance states that people with Parkinson’s disease who are admitted to hospital or care homes should be given their medicines at the appropriate times, which, in some cases, may mean allowing self-medication.Parkinson’s UK has produced resources as part of its Get It on Time campaign, which supports people with Parkinson's with medicine management in preparation for a hospital stay. These resources can also support hospital and care home staff to make sure that patients and residents get their medication on time, every time.NHS England has also published guidance, developed in partnership with charities, including Parkinson’s UK, to help local National Health Service staff take practical steps to improve the care for patients with progressive neurological conditions in hospitals, including hospitals in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB area. The Right Care Toolkit for progressive neurological conditions provides advice on medicine optimisation, highlighting the importance of timely administration of specific drugs for Parkinson’s, such as Levodopa, in both acute and community health settings.

What (a) steps he is taking to support and (b) funding he has allocated to the rollout of AI-assisted stethoscope checks for heart murmurs in community pharmacies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) assisted stethoscope tools are currently being trialed in 200 general practices (GPs) across London and Wales, with trials set to end in December 2025. The AI in Health and Care Award and the National Institute for Health and Care Research provided £1.2 million in funding for these trials, known as the TRICORDER programme, which aims to assess whether providing the tool to GPs can increase the early detection of heart failure and reduce diagnosis through emergency hospital admission. Early results have shown these devices can test for heart failure with high levels of sensitivity, 91%, and specificity, 80%, compared to routine diagnostic tests that are invasive and expensive.

Whether he plans to take steps to publish a women's health strategy.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health. We are turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as: providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the National Health Service from October 2025; setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan; and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The three shifts will improve the care women receive. Hospital to community will mean women can access convenient, coordinated care closer to home through Neighbourhood Health Centres, building on best practice examples such as Tower Hamlets women’s health hub. Analogue to digital will put more power and data in women’s hands, which will make it easier to get more personalised support, book appointments, and stay healthy. Treatment to prevention will mean faster and fairer access to life-saving prevention through human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling kits, and access to the HPV vaccine through community pharmacies.

Whether his Department plans to introduce a cardiovascular disease strategy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD).The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, outlines our commitment to publish a Modern Service Framework in 2026 that will identify the interventions with the best evidence, and set standards for and drive innovation in CVD.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of PM2.5 exposure on children’s health outcomes.

Air pollution exposure can be harmful to everyone. Children are more vulnerable to the effects than adults due to their incomplete lung development, high physical activity and breathing rates, and lower height, which increases exposure to traffic pollution.The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) assessment of children’s exposure to air pollution in outdoor school environments identified that, in 2017, one third of schools in England were in areas with PM2.5, exceeding the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) previous annual guideline of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3).In 2021, WHO updated its guidelines for PM2.5 from 10 µg/m3 to an annual mean of five µg/m3.The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants published advice on the susceptibility to air pollution in March 2025. They concluded that, based on the latest evidence, advice for children with asthma should continue to be included in the Daily Air Quality Index.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides The Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) which is available at the following link:https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution/daqi?view=more-infoThis informs on the levels of air pollution and provides recommended actions and health advice. The index is numbered 1-10 and divided into four bands, low (1) to very high (10), to provide detail about air pollution levels in a simple way, similar to the sun index or pollen index.UKHSA contributed to the Royal College of Physician’s report on air pollution which explores the impacts of air pollution over the life course, including through childhood and adolescence. UKHSA has a Cleaner Air Programme which aims to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution, particularly the most vulnerable groups, including children.The Programme is described in UKHSA’s ‘Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report’ of June 2022, available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chemical-hazards-and-poisons-report-issue-28

If his Department will support the (a) rollout and (b) expansion of testing for (i) hepatitis B, (ii) hepatitis C, (iii) HIV, (iv) other precursor conditions to less survivable cancers and (v) NHS England’s risk-stratified Community Liver Health Check programme.

Testing for hepatitis B, C, and HIV is available through a variety of routes including, primary care, sexual health services and targeted testing to reach groups most at risk of infections. NHS England’s opt-out testing programme operates at several emergency departments and tests all adults blood test for hepatitis B, C, and HIV, unless they opt out. NHS England is exploring whether funding can be identified to allow the programme to continue beyond the current financial year.The Department supports testing for precursor conditions to less survivable cancers through several programmes. The NHS Cancer Programme works to detect more hepatocellular carcinomas, namely liver cancer, at an early stage. Six-monthly liver ultrasound surveillance for patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis is carried out to identify liver cancers earlier. In 2025/26, community liver health checks will continue to be rolled out across 20 areas to identify patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis.To speed up diagnosis of cancer, a full roll-out of non-specific symptom pathways has been achieved in England. These introduce a diagnosis route for patients displaying symptoms not aligned to specific cancers. This programme has provided funding to Cancer Alliances in 2023/24 and in 2024/25 to invest in local liver surveillance programmes.

If his Department will support the establishment of Centres of Excellence for each less survivable cancer type.

To support cancer care for rarer and less survivable cancer type, the Government is committed to helping the National Health Service to diagnose all cancers earlier and to treat them faster.The Government is also committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment, so that people with cancer, including less survivable cancer, can get access to the care they need more quickly. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, the National Health Service is delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.Moreover, full roll out of non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways, designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer, has been achieved across England. NSS pathways introduce a route to possible diagnosis for patients who display symptoms that could indicate cancer, but which do not align to specific cancers, often the case for less survivable cancers. The new non-specific pathway complements current cancer diagnostic pathways, as well as providing elements that can be applied to existing pathways. The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later in 2025, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rarer and less survivable cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The Department ran a public Call for Evidence to determine priorities for the plan; responses are currently being analysed. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including less survivable cancer.For these reasons, the Department does not currently have plans to support the establishment of Centres of Excellence for each survivable cancer type.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on the adequacy of the data available to help clinical staff reduce the time taken to (a) diagnose and (b) treat cancer patients in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England.

Officials in the Department regularly engage with NHS England on the adequacy of the data available, to improve performance against cancer waiting times.The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) is introducing primary care symptom-based pathways, designed to support cancer referrals and to reduce the number of referrals into cancer pathways, where the risk of cancer is very low or more effective alternative referral pathways exist. The ICB intends to pilot clinical decision tools, which will prompt general practitioners to order relevant tests and suggest alternative referral pathways.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published this year, supporting the Prime Minister’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future and reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. The plan will outline how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, by speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring access to the latest treatments and technologies.

Which Minister attended the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of outcomes from that meeting.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention attended the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting on 17 May 2025. The meeting was an opportunity for the United Kingdom and our Commonwealth partners to exchange views and strengthen cooperation on shared health challenges.Commonwealth health ministers adopted an Outcome Statement outlining commitments to build equitable, resilient, and sustainably financed health systems that prioritise vulnerable member countries, that the UK supported. The statement included several UK health priorities including cancer, digital health, mental health, and antimicrobial resistance.

What assessment he has made of the link between poor lung health and poverty.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 28 April 2025 to Question 46400.

What assessment he has made of the link between lung health and (a) air pollution and (b) indoor air quality in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire.

Poor air quality is one of the largest environmental risks to public health in the United Kingdom. Epidemiological studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollution, over years or lifetimes, reduces life expectancy, due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Short-term exposure, over hours or days, to elevated levels of air pollution can also cause a range of health impacts, including effects on lung function, exacerbation of asthma, increases in respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, and mortality. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution

Whether he plans to include provision in the NHS 10-Year Plan for the National Health Service on the respiratory health of people living in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the county, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire.More tests and scans delivered in the community will allow for earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation, can further help prevent lung conditions.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of the uptake of vaccines by children from ethnic minority communities in England.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors trends in the level of childhood vaccination rates by upper tier local authority (UTLA), region, and country. The UKHSA does not routinely collect data on trends in the level of the uptake of vaccines by children from ethnic minority communities in England. An assessment of coverage trends and ethnicity was published in the Lancet in 2023, and is available at the following link:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00458-3/fulltextData on the coverage of all routine childhood immunisations is published quarterly by the UKHSA, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2024-to-2025-quarterly-dataAnnual coverage data is also published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-immunisation-statistics/england-2023-24

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of the uptake of vaccines by children in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors trends in the level of childhood vaccination rates by upper tier local authority (UTLA), region and country level. Newcastle-under-Lyme falls within the Staffordshire UTLA.In Staffordshire, children aged five years old in 2023/2024 had a 94.8% coverage for the first dose of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. This is a 0.7 percentage point decrease from 2022/2023, when the coverage was 95.5% but is 3.6 percentage points above the England average which was 91.9%.Coverage of the 6-in-1 vaccine, which includes diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis also known as whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B, in the same age group was 95.6% in 2023/2024, a 0.7 percentage point decrease from 96.3% in 2022/2023 but 3.7 percentage points above the England average of 92.6%.Data on coverage of all routine childhood immunisations are published quarterly by UKHSA and annually by NHS England, and are available at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2024-to-2025-quarterly-datahttps://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-immunisation-statistics/england-2023-24

What recent steps he has taken to improve (a) maternity safety and (b) prevent brain injuries during childbirth.

NHS England is currently delivering a three-year plan for maternity and neonatal services, which brings together recommendations from previous independent inquiries, and sets national measures to make care safer, more personalised and more equitable. Significant improvements have been made through the plan, including the roll out of maternal mental health services, implementation of Version 3 of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, establishment of 14 maternal medicine networks across England, and Equity and Equality Action Plans being published by all local areas to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds.To prevent brain injuries during childbirth, the Department has invested £7.8 million to develop the Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth programme which will reduce the number of avoidable brain injuries that occur during childbirth. This will be implemented by NHS England and will provide staff with the tools and right training to identify, intervene and manage obstetric emergencies as well as identifying and better identify signs that the baby is showing distress during labour.Additionally, the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) Programme investigates certain cases of potential severe brain injury that occur in the first seven days of life. MNSI investigations seek to improve maternity safety and reduce the prevalence of adverse outcomes through providing learning to the health system via reports at a local, regional and national level.

When the next meeting of the NHS England Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) will take place; and what steps the Government plans to take to fund treatments previously reviewed by CPAG.

The NHS England Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) continues to meet on a monthly basis to consider policy propositions and service specification propositions that are categorised as in year service. The next scheduled meeting was due for 4 June 2025. The further review of treatments previously considered by CPAG that require significant investment will be deferred until such point that recurrent revenue funding can be identified to support new discretionary spend commitments.

What recent steps he has taken to increase the level of access to NHS dentists by people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and Staffordshire, this is the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB is expected to deliver 16,190 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

What estimate he has made of the number of children and young people waiting for an ADHD assessment in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

There is, at present, no single established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it will soon release technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and publishing more localised data in future.NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support local systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.