Written questions by Pinkerton.

What funding his Department is making into new treatment research and innovation for low grade brain treatments.

The Department recognises that brain cancer patients are often waiting too long for diagnosis. We are determined to change that, which is why we are developing a National Cancer Plan which will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care and the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including brain cancer. Although low-grade brain tumours are non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and require surgery or radiotherapy to treat them. The Department welcomes submissions on brain tumours to the new online platform, Shaping the national cancer plan. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-planIn the five years between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) directly invested £11.3 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours, including low grade brain tumours.  In addition, our wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, which includes facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £31.5 million, between 2018/19 and 2022/23, and have enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place in the same period. In total, NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service over this time.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 that 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.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including low grade brain tumours. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

How the (a) 10-Year Health Plan and (b) Cancer Plan will ensure that the specific needs of people living with low grade brain tumours are properly recognised and supported.

The Department recognises that brain cancer patients are often waiting too long for diagnosis. We are determined to change that, which is why we are developing a National Cancer Plan which will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care and the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including brain cancer. Although low-grade brain tumours are non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and require surgery or radiotherapy to treat them. The Department welcomes submissions on brain tumours to the new online platform, Shaping the national cancer plan. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-planIn the five years between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) directly invested £11.3 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours, including low grade brain tumours.  In addition, our wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, which includes facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £31.5 million, between 2018/19 and 2022/23, and have enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place in the same period. In total, NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service over this time.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 that 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.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including low grade brain tumours. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

What steps he has taken to help (a) older and (b) digitally illiterate demographics in using online NHS booking services for GP appointments in Surrey Heath constituency.

It is for local National Health Service organisations to adopt digital health technologies and services which best meet the needs of their local populations. However, digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. The GP Contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of visiting their practice in person. NHS England successfully ran a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online;the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation and means to access health information and services online; andthe NHS App Spoken Word Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English.NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the level of car parking charges for staff in NHS hospitals in Surrey Heath constituency.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of reducing the level of car-parking charges for staff in National Health Service hospitals in the Surrey Heath constituency.NHS trusts are expected to follow the principles set out in the NHS Car Parking Guidance. The guidance makes clear that charges, where they exist, should be reasonable for the area.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.

What steps he is taking to ensure that hospitals can (a) recruit and (b) retain midwives in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to tackling the retention and recruitment challenges that face the National Health Service. Bringing in the staff we need will take time, but this is an absolute priority for the Government. NHS England is leading a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and ensure that the NHS remains an attractive career choice for new recruits. This includes building a compassionate and inclusive culture, supporting staff wellbeing, and promoting flexible working opportunities. Targeted retention work for midwives is being undertaken by NHS England, led by the Chief Nursing Officer. This work contains a range of measures, including the creation of a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool, mentoring schemes, strengthened advice and support on pensions, and embedded flexible retirement options. NHS England has also invested in unit-based retention leads which, alongside investment in workforce capacity, has seen a reduction in vacancy, leaver, and turnover rates. The Frimley Health midwifery workforce, which includes the Surrey Heath area, now has in place a fully resourced midwifery workforce. This follows five-years of work, led by the trust, on recruitment and retention, in addition to the ongoing work by NHS England.

What steps his Department is taking to support hospitals affected by RAAC in the South East.

We are committed to removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the National Health Service estate as a priority.The NHS has been surveying hospital sites to identify the presence of RAAC since 2019. Once the presence of RAAC is confirmed at a hospital site, the trust joins NHS England’s national RAAC programme, which has delivered mitigation, safety, and eradication works across all hospital sites with confirmed RAAC to keep facilities safe and open, and is working to remove RAAC fully from the NHS estate. There are nine hospital sites in the South East currently in the NHS RAAC programme, and one hospital site in the South East, specifically Medway Maritime Hospital, has completely eradicated RAAC.We confirmed £440 million specifically for RAAC mitigation and eradication in 2025/26 as part of NHS capital guidance. National RAAC funding is allocated annually based on NHS trust plans and delivery progress, and funds mitigation works at the seven hospitals built wholly or primarily from RAAC.We are working at pace to ensure that the seven hospitals built wholly or primarily from RAAC in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) will be replaced as quickly as possible, including Frimley Park Hospital in the South East, to protect patient and staff safety. Construction for all RAAC replacement schemes is planned to commence and substantially deliver between 2025 and 2030 as part of Wave 1 of the NHP.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that hospice care providers can (a) recruit and (b) retain skilled nurses in Surrey Heath constituency.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. As independent organisations, charitable hospices are responsible for their own recruitment and employment terms.The NHS has been facing chronic workforce shortages for years, and we have to be honest that bringing in the staff we need will take time. We understand that this will also impact the voluntary sector, including hospices, like those in the Surrey Heath area.We are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time. The Government will make sure the NHS has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it, including at the end of life.We will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding to improve (a) services and (b) research for individuals affected by neurological conditions.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP). The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home. The NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home. The NTP has developed an online, interactive adult neurology dashboard to support systems to understand their local neurology landscape and benchmark against other ICBs. It sets out key metrics and visualisations for neurology services locally, providing information about the scope and quality of local neurology services, using existing whole population, whole pathway data. Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with neurological conditions can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including neurological nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs. The Department delivers research into neurological conditions via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the financial year 2023/24, the NIHR spent £72.9 million on research into neurological conditions across research projects, programmes, and infrastructure. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including neurological conditions. The amount of funding for research into neurological conditions is determined by the number and quality of research applications received. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

If he has made an assessment of the potential merits of standardising the GP appointment application process in Surrey.

The GP Contract requires all practices to offer patients an assessment of need, or signposting to an appropriate service, on the day they contact the practice, or the next day if they contact the practice in the afternoon. They will not be asked to phone back another day.As independent businesses, practices have autonomy in the way that they function operationally, including the implementation of digital services and how they manage appointments and related processes. Therefore, each practice will have its own approach to managing appointment bookings in order to best meet the needs of the local population.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of(a) the utilisation of psilocybin-based treatments for mental health conditions and (b) commissioning further research into the therapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs.

The Department recognises that the use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, such as psilocybin, to treat mental illness is gaining attention both within the medical and scientific communities, as well as across the public more broadly. However, there is no proven medical use for psilocybin in the United Kingdom, and no such substance has yet been licensed as safe and effective in the treatment of mental health conditions. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is supporting psilocybin research via the NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility, the NIHR Oxford Health Clinical Research Facility, and the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, where researchers are developing and evaluating the efficacy and safety of psilocybin therapies.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reduced access to GP services on waiting times in Accident and Emergency departments.

The Department recognises that where the capacity of general practice (GP) services is not meeting patient demand, this can lead to some patients seeking advice and care in alternative settings, such as accident and emergency. We have already committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs from this October through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, increasing capacity in GPs. The latest information on accident and emergency waiting times is published monthly by NHS England, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/