Written questions by Rosindell.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of community pharmacy on access to primary care.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. The Department is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.There is an ongoing global supply problems that continues to impact medicine availability. The Department understands how frustrating and distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need. We recognise this pressure on community pharmacy teams and are working with Community Pharmacy England to support private contractors to deliver quality NHS services. Employers clearly have a key role in supporting their staff, and a number of resources are available from organisations such as Pharmacist Support, for free and confidential advice and support for mental health and wellbeing.

What assessment he has made of the impact of medicines shortages on the wellbeing of community pharmacy teams.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. The Department is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.There is an ongoing global supply problems that continues to impact medicine availability. The Department understands how frustrating and distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need. We recognise this pressure on community pharmacy teams and are working with Community Pharmacy England to support private contractors to deliver quality NHS services. Employers clearly have a key role in supporting their staff, and a number of resources are available from organisations such as Pharmacist Support, for free and confidential advice and support for mental health and wellbeing.

What steps he is taking with the private care home sector to improve bed capacity within the NHS.

Local authorities should determine the volume and type of services, including care home beds, that are required to meet their responsibilities under the Care Act 2014. National Health Service integrated care boards, local authorities, and providers should work together to ensure that efforts to discharge individuals from hospital into social care are joined up and make best use of available resources, in line with the duty to cooperate set out in Section 82 of the NHS Act 2006.In December 2024 there were, on average, 12,000 adult patients in acute hospital beds per day with delayed discharges, 5% fewer than in December 2023.

What support his Department is providing to increase patient capacity on mental health wards in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the surrounding area.

NHS England’s 2024/25 priorities and operational planning guidance reinforces this focus on improving patient flow as a key priority, with local health systems directed to reduce the average length of stay in adult acute mental health wards to deliver more timely access to local beds. And in areas where there is a clear need for more beds, this has been addressed in part through investment in new units.It is also important that when people are discharged, this happens in a way that considers their needs on discharge and any risks to their safety. To help support safe and timely discharge decisions, the Department published statutory guidance on discharge from mental health inpatient settings in January 2024. It sets out how health and care systems should work together to support safe discharge from all mental health and learning disability and autism inpatient settings for children, young people and adults. More information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settingsAs part of our mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we will make sure more mental health care is delivered in the community, close to people’s homes, through new models of care and support, so that fewer people need to go into hospital.

What support his Department is providing to increase patient capacity in the Queen’s Hospital, Romford Accident and Emergency Department.

Operational matters, including decisions on local hospital capacity, are primarily matters for local National Health Service trusts working with NHS commissioners.The NHS has supported increased patient demand for accident and emergency services by strengthening same day emergency care, supporting vaccination efforts for COVID-19, flu, and the respiratory syncytial virus, and increasing the provision of community services.In addition, due to the action taken by the Government, this winter NHS hospitals are free of strikes and focused on caring for patients.

Whether he plans to visit healthcare facilities in the (a) London Borough of Havering and (b) surrounding area in the next six months.

Ministers regularly consider visits across the country to see the impact of their policy areas. Any plans to visit specific locations will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.

What support his Department is providing to people affected by seasonal flu in Romford constituency.

The Government is committed to protecting those at greatest risk from seasonal flu through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.The flu vaccination programme continues until 31 March 2025, so there continues to be the opportunity for eligible people in Romford to come forward for vaccination, and NHS England London is continuing with the autumn and winter communications campaign to encourage those who are eligible and at-risk to receive vaccination. For school-aged children, the school-aged immunisation providers are currently running mop-up community clinics where children who missed the offer of vaccination at school can still be vaccinated. There are also opportunistic vaccinations of two- to three-year-olds via these clinics, as well as the offer of vaccination via general practice.NHS England has confirmed that all care homes in the London region have been visited to ensure they receive the offer of vaccination, and there has been a programme in place in each integrated care board to support housebound visits for those who cannot leave their own home.For those who have contracted flu or who are at high-risk of severe illness and/or complications if they were to contract flu, there is scope for general practices to prescribe anti-virals, based on a clinical assessment regarding need.

What steps he is taking to improve primary care facilities in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the surrounding area.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and this means better utilising and expanding primary care infrastructure across the NHS estate. That is why we have set out our intention to fix the front door to the NHS and bring healthcare closer to home, and the local community.The North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) advised that two new primary care facilities have opened recently within the borough of Havering, specifically St George’s Hub and Wellbeing Centre and Raphael House, both of which are providing extensive health care facilities, including offering out of hours appointments.The North East London ICB is also engaging in a strategic review of NHS Property Service (NHSPS) and Community Health Partnership (CHP) assets in central Romford, to ensure that the healthcare infrastructure can meet the future demands of a growing and changing population. With new housing developments projected to increase the patient population by 28,000 by 2030, and additional population growth driven by demographic changes , the ICB notes that it is clear that demand for healthcare services will rise significantly beyond the impact of housing developments alone.To address this, the North East London ICB is conducting a comprehensive review of all NHSPS and CHP assets as part of the Central Romford Master Plan. This includes assessing the current utilisation of leased space, and working with stakeholders to reconfigure and maximise underutilised estates, identifying voids, and exploring redevelopment opportunities to ensure we future proof healthcare provisions within the area.

What recent steps he has taken help improve rates of early diagnosis of lung cancer.

The National Health Service is taking crucial steps to improve cancer outcomes across England, including for lung cancer. The Targeted Lung Health Check is a national NHS screening programme which is designed to identify cancers at an earlier stage with the goal of saving more lives. It will be available to 100% of the eligible population by 2030.Within the programme so far, detection at stage 1 and 2 stands at 75%, while outside the programme its 29%. When fully rolled out the Lung Cancer Screening Programme will detect approximately 9,000 cancers earlier each year and support the NHS Long Term Plan to detect more cancers earlier.

What steps he is taking to achieve national coverage of the NHS’ Non-Specific Symptom (NSS) diagnostic pathways for blood cancer.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancer, as early and as quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.In addition to improving cancer waiting time performance, the NHS has implemented non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. This includes leukaemia, which the national evaluation found was one of the most common cancers diagnosed via these pathways. We are close to national coverage for NSS pathways, with 115 out of the 121 NSS services being live nationally.

If his Department will take steps to improve blood cancer (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) outcomes in Romford constituency.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancer, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes for all patients across England, including in the Romford constituency.The Department is committing to this by improving waiting times for cancer treatment, starting by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support faster diagnosis and access to treatment. In addition, NHS England has implemented non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, or combinations thereof, that can indicate several different cancers. This includes leukaemia, which can present non-specific symptoms, such as unexpected weight loss and night sweats. From our national evaluation, blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials, and ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to NHS patients, including those with blood cancer. Most recently, in response to the findings of Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS, the Department has launched an extensive programme of engagement to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS.In September this year, NHS England announced a new targeted treatment, quizartinib, to be prescribed to newly diagnosed patients with a specific type of leukaemia, boosting their chance of remission and long-term survival, made available through the NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which fast-tracks new innovative cancer treatments into standard care. This followed a previous announcement in August, announcing the new treatment, Zanubrutini, for those with marginal zone lymphoma, which could halt the progression of their cancer and provide an alternative to further rounds of chemotherapy.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of innovative blood cancer treatments in Romford constituency.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancer, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes for all patients across England, including in the Romford constituency.The Department is committing to this by improving waiting times for cancer treatment, starting by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support faster diagnosis and access to treatment. In addition, NHS England has implemented non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, or combinations thereof, that can indicate several different cancers. This includes leukaemia, which can present non-specific symptoms, such as unexpected weight loss and night sweats. From our national evaluation, blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials, and ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to NHS patients, including those with blood cancer. Most recently, in response to the findings of Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS, the Department has launched an extensive programme of engagement to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS.In September this year, NHS England announced a new targeted treatment, quizartinib, to be prescribed to newly diagnosed patients with a specific type of leukaemia, boosting their chance of remission and long-term survival, made available through the NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which fast-tracks new innovative cancer treatments into standard care. This followed a previous announcement in August, announcing the new treatment, Zanubrutini, for those with marginal zone lymphoma, which could halt the progression of their cancer and provide an alternative to further rounds of chemotherapy.

When his Department will announce future funding for drug treatment services beyond 2025.

We understand the importance of funding certainty for informing local system’s operational decision making and future planning. We are engaging with commissioners and providers on this. Future funding for drug treatment services beyond 2025 will be announced very shortly. The Department of Health and Social Care will write directly to each local authority soon to set out indicative allocations for 2025/26, which will still be subject to Departmental and HM Treasury’s approvals, and so final allocations could vary. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also made clear that the Government will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025. In future, we anticipate that Spending Reviews will be set every two years to cover a three-year period, including a one-year overlap with the previous Spending Review, helping build in greater certainty and stability over public finances. In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use.

What steps he is taking to reduce barriers to accessing drug treatment faced by women.

The Department is focused on supporting local areas to deliver high quality drug and alcohol treatment services, including better meeting the needs of women and vulnerable groups. Current work in relation to women and vulnerable groups includes: providing targeted support to local areas; enhancing data tools to better inform local needs assessments; supporting workforce development; and implementation of the Commissioning Quality Standard and the sharing of good practice. The quality standard provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas and includes a requirement that local authority commissioning partnerships include services that reflect their local populations and work with underrepresented groups, as identified in their local needs assessment, such as people from minority ethnic groups and women. Further information on the Commissioning Quality Standard is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-servicesIn addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. This funding will help improve women’s access to treatment, removing barriers they face and ensuring the care they receive is tailored to their needs.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reversing whether the decision to allow women to take (a) mifepristone and (b) misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy.

The Government has no plans to assess the potential merits of reversing the decision to allow women to take mifepristone and misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion in England and Wales is governed by the Abortion Act 1967, which defines the criteria under which terminations can take place. Under the act, women have access to regulated and National Health Service funded abortion services, which now includes taking both abortion pills at home, up to a 10-week gestation.As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance. It would be for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion.

If he will commission an inquiry into the safety of taking (a) mifepristone and (b) misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy.

The Government has no plans to commission an inquiry into the safety of taking mifepristone and misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion is a safe procedure for which major complications are rare, at all pregnancy gestations. Data does not show an increase in abortion complications following the introduction of home use of mifepristone and misoprostol for early medical abortion.

Whether he has taken steps to reduce the number of pregnancies terminated beyond 24 weeks.

No steps have been taken to reduce the number of pregnancies terminated beyond 24 weeks gestation.Abortion in England and Wales is governed by the Abortion Act 1967, which defines the criteria under which terminations can take place. Under the act, termination of pregnancies beyond 24 weeks is only permitted in limited circumstances. Before a termination can proceed, there is a legal requirement for two doctors to certify that in their opinion, which must be formed in good faith, at least one of the grounds for abortion as set out in the act are met, and these must be the same grounds.

How much was spent on encouraging students to take on the career path of midwifery in the last five years.

NHS England has several initiatives which support the encouragement of students to take on the career pathway of midwifery.To remove barriers to training in clinical roles, including midwifery, eligible students receive a non-repayable grant of £5,000 a year through the Learning Support Fund.The National Health Service has a long-established campaign process for promoting NHS careers, including midwifery, locally and nationally. This includes the We are the NHS campaign. NHS Health Careers, as part of NHS England, provides support to people in education and at different stages of their career, to learn more about all the career opportunities available in the NHS.NHS England is expanding routes into healthcare professions through apprenticeships and blended learning programmes, allowing students to choose to study in a flexible way that reflects their needs.To ensure midwifery remains an attractive career, the Government will also make sure that staff are treated with the respect they deserve, improve their working conditions and reform the way they deliver care.Due to the national and regional aspects of funding, NHS England is unable to provide a total cost for individual midwifery promotion spend.

If he will make it his policy to encourage the introduction of the Prostate-Specific Antigen blood test on the NHS for men (a) a strong family history of prostate cancer and (b) under 50.

Too many cancer patients are waiting too long to be treated, and we are determined to change that through faster and earlier diagnosis. We are investing £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK led TRANSFORM screening trial seeking to find better methods to catch prostate cancer. NHS England is taking steps to raise awareness of the symptoms of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so.The UK National Screening Committee does not currently recommend screening for prostate cancer as the prostate-specific antigen test does not meet the required accuracy for use in a national screening programme. Current methods offer insufficient benefits in relation to harms caused by overdiagnosis, such as invasive investigative procedures and unnecessary treatment.

Whether his Department plans to introduce further Government advertising to encourage men to (a) speak to their GP about their risk of prostate cancer and (b) seek further testing if they are categorised as high risk.

Too many cancer patients are waiting too long to be treated, and we are determined to change that through faster and earlier diagnosis. We are investing £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK led TRANSFORM screening trial seeking to find better methods to catch prostate cancer. NHS England is taking steps to raise awareness of the symptoms of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so.The UK National Screening Committee does not currently recommend screening for prostate cancer as the prostate-specific antigen test does not meet the required accuracy for use in a national screening programme. Current methods offer insufficient benefits in relation to harms caused by overdiagnosis, such as invasive investigative procedures and unnecessary treatment.