Written questions by Jogee.

What steps he is taking to improve early diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Funding was recently announced to boost bone density scanning capacity, to support improvements in bone health and early diagnostics for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, such as osteoporosis. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year.As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England’s Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.

What plans he has to allow up-to date medical information to be shared between the NHS and care staff in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

At a national level, in partnership with NHS England, the Department is building the foundations for improved information sharing between care and health staff. Digital social care records, that contain a person’s care information, are now in use by more than 72% of Care Quality Commission-registered care providers, from a starting point of 41% in December 2021. We recently set out our ambition that all care providers will be fully digitised by the end of this Parliament.Within the coming months, all assured Digital Social Care Records will also enable medical information to be shared with social care providers through GP Connect, which provides a restricted view of a person’s general practice (GP) record to social care staff for direct care purposes, where there is consent for the data to be shared. Access to this information improves the quality and safety of care and saves time, currently spent on the phone waiting to speak to GP surgeries.In Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, the One Health and Care shared care record enables medical information sharing for direct care purposes across health and social care. This initiative has been in place since 2020. There is not currently a consistent way for information held by social care providers to be shared, and from April 2025, we will begin work to establish a national shared platform that enables this essential information sharing and ensures health and care staff can access real-time social care, GP, and hospital data, providing access to essential medical information in a timely way. This could include when someone last took their medication, or whether there’s been a change to their care regimen. By linking up systems, NHS and care staff will have access to the latest information, speeding up and improving care both in health and in care settings.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of the Disabled Facilities Grant.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a range of health and social care issues.We are giving older and disabled people more independence in their own homes through an immediate in-year uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) of £86 million in 2024/25. This increase will provide around 7,800 additional home adaptations. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024. The Government also announced an £86 million additional investment in the DFG for 2025/26 at the Budget, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £711 million also.To ensure the DFG is as effective as possible, we will continue to keep different aspects of the grant under consideration. As part of this, we are reviewing the suitability of the current upper limit and will set out further detail in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the support given to people who have experienced a (a) severe adverse reaction and (b) bereavement after receiving a vaccine on levels of vacc

The United Kingdom has one of the most extensive immunisation programmes in the world, with uptake rates amongst the highest globally.No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the support given to people who have experienced a severe adverse r...

If he will make an assessment of the the adequacy of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) continues to process a significant number of claims, with 11,251 claims related to COVID-19, adult flu, and other diseases processed between 1 November 2021 and 13 December 2024.The Department is working with the N...

What recent discussions he has had with the School and Public Health Nurses Association on the number of school nurses in schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c)

We are committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The child health workforce, including school nurses, who lead the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme for five to 19-year-olds, is central to how we support children, young peopl...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a 21-day diagnosis-to-treatment pathway for people with pancreatic cancer.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale on 24 October 2024 to Question 10063.

What steps he plans to take to help improve men's health; and if he will use the upcoming Men's Health summit to commission a new men's health strategy consultation.

The Government's mission is getting the National Health Service back on its feet, so that it is there for everyone. The Government looks forward to its discussions with everyone interested in men’s health, to hear views and ideas on how to improve outcome...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of palliative care services available to people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifica...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of support for (a) children and (b) adults with cystic fibrosis in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire.

No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of support for children and adults with cystic fibrosis in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.NHS England commissions 47 specialised cystic fibrosis centres for adults and children across England, i...

What steps he is taking to tackle gambling-related suicide in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government has committed to tackling suicide. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health workers, and these new staff will be specially trained to support people at risk from suicide. The five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy for England id...

What recent discussions he has had with the School and Public Health Nurses Association on the adequacy of school nursing provision.

Government officials meet regularly with the School and Public Health Nurses Association and have attended two recent roundtable events, as well as the launch event for their report entitled The Forgotten Frontline.We are committed to creating the healthi...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of school nursing services in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

No assessment has been made by the Department. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning school nursing services based on local need and evidence. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities provides both commissioning guidance and a servi...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to defibrillators in (a) Newcastle-under -Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

No assessment has been made on the adequacy of access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in Newcastle-under -Lyme or Staffordshire. The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to t...

If she will take steps to ensure that improving respiratory health of people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England is central to the NHS Long-term Plan.

The Ten Year Health Plan will consider the change needed to meet the three health mission goals: a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer; a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers...

Whether he plans to tackle (a) poor indoor air quality and (b) its impact on the health and wellbeing of people in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England.

Air pollution has reduced significantly since the 1980s, but remains one of the most significant environmental risks to public health in the United Kingdom. Improving the environment in which we live, work, and play is critical to supporting people to liv...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a screening programme for prostate cancer on patient outcomes.

Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC). This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm men, a...

What assessment his Department has made of the impact on patient outcomes in (a)Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England of introducing a screening programme for prostate cancer.

Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC). This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm men, a...

What assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of rates of late diagnosis of prostate cancer; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle those rates.

No such assessment has been made. We recognise that late diagnosis of cancers, including prostate cancer, can impact treatment options, reduce a patient’s chances of survival, and potentially increase the cost of effective treatments. NHS England is takin...

What immediate term steps his Department is in addition to the Transform Trial to (a) speed up and (b) improve the efficiency of diagnostic pathways in prostate cancer.

The Government is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive with better outcomes, including for those with prostate cancer. The Department is supporting the NHS in taki...