Written questions by Snowden.

How much funding was allocated to hospice services in each of the last five financial years; and what information his Department holds on the proportion of that funding from (a) central government, (b) local authorities and (c) charitable donations.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices in England are charitable organisations, receiving approximately one third of their funding from the NHS and the rest through other independent fund-raising means. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives from the NHS varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.This approach allows the hospices to maintain their independence and autonomy, providing them with the freedom to provide services beyond the statutory offer. Thus, hospices are not required to report their charitable donations to the Government, nor is the Government to collect such information from hospices.Hospices do incredible work to support people and families when they need it most, and we recognise the incredibly tough pressures they are facing. Which is why, for the first time in a generation, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.Furthermore, the Children’s Hospice ‘Grant’ has provided additional funding since 2006/07. The following table shows the Children’s Hospice ‘Grant’ amounts allocated since 2015/16 to 2025/26:YearGrant amount awarded2015/16£11,000,000.002016/17£11,000,000.002017/18£11,000,000.002018/19£11,000,000.002019/20£12,000,000.002020/21£15,000,000.002021/22£17,000,000.002022/23£21,000,000.002023/24£25,000,000.002024/25£25,000,000.002025/26£26,000,000.00Note: the payment is no longer referred to as a ‘grant’ by NHS England as it is now channelled through ICBs rather than being directly paid to hospices by NHS England.Since 2022/23, individual allocations of the grant have been determined using a prevalence-based model, enabling allocations to reflect local population need.I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

What steps he is taking to ensure equitable regional access to hospice care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.However, due to the way the hospice movement organically grew, hospice locations were largely not planned with a view to providing even access across the country or to prioritise areas of greatest need based on demographics. Therefore, there are inequalities in access to hospice services, especially for those living in rural or socio-economically deprived areas.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICB on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.More widely, I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

What estimate he has made of levels of malnutrition in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Government is committed to tackling malnutrition, including in the Fylde constituency and Lancashire. In the United Kingdom, the primary causes of malnutrition are clinical. Most cases will be secondary to another health condition which may impact on nutritional needs or impact on a person’s ability to eat and drink. As such, poor or inadequate dietary intake is unlikely to be the primary cause.The Department does not hold malnutrition data at the constituency or local authority level. While NHS England has previously published information on malnutrition from National Health Service providers at the Government Office Region of Treatment, this is a primary or secondary diagnosis and is a count of admissions not people; the same person may have had more than one admission episode within same time period. The most recent malnutrition data published by NHS England in October 2024 is available by NHS hospital trusts.Diagnosis and detection are key, and health staff are trained to spot the early warning signs of malnutrition so effective individual treatment can be put in place. All NHS services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guideline CG32, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is also leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the results of research funded through the Mental Health Goals programme are rapidly translated into frontline NHS mental health services.

The Government is investing £50 million through the Mental Health Goals programme to speed up the translation of research into frontline NHS services. Funding will support a 20,000-person research cohort, improved access to mental health data, and an Industry Alliance Team to fast-track clinical trials. A new Lived Experience Partnership will ensure innovations reflect real patient needs. These steps will help deliver more effective, personalised treatments for people struggling with mental health conditions and ensure that breakthroughs reach NHS patients faster, supporting a National Health Service fit for the future.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 24721 on Dental Services: Lancashire, what recent progress he has made on delivering 700,000 additional dental appointments.

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed most. The Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is expected to deliver 20,822 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Children and Young People’s Continuing Care framework in meeting the needs of eligible (a) children and (b) families.

The National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, published by the then Department of Health, now the Department of Health and Social Care, in January 2016, is intended to support good practice locally, providing guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities on the process for assessing, deciding, and agreeing packages of care for children and young people.ICBs are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the needs of their local populations. NHS England collects Children and Young People’s Continuing Care activity data as part of the All-age Continuing Care Patient Level Dataset, which launched on 1 April 2025, and which is committed to supporting ICBs in implementing the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care.

What support is available through the NHS for patients with postural tachycardia syndrome requiring (a) ongoing management and (b) rehabilitation.

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.

Whether his Department has commissioned research on the incidence of postural tachycardia syndrome in patients with long covid.

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of postural tachycardia syndrome on people’s ability to work.

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) can significantly limit a person's ability to work, though the degree of impact will vary among individuals. For some, symptoms are debilitating and prevent them from working entirely, while others can work with adjustments in place. A person's ability to work will depend on the severity of their symptoms and the demands of the job.The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with PoTS, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.The 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, set out our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people and those with long-term conditions. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) take-up of the covid-19 vaccine for eligible people in the latest period for which data is available.

Vaccine availability is monitored as part of standard operational practice across the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), NHS England, and the devolved administrations. The UKHSA collects and analyses data from the vaccination programmes to understand the impact, effectiveness, and any inequalities.The UKHSA has procured COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming season in line with uptake forecasts received from all four nations of the United Kingdom. Based on procured volumes, it is expected that there is sufficient COVID-19 vaccine available for those eligible to receive a vaccine across the current autumn and winter campaigns. People aged 75 years old and over, those in older adult care homes, and those aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed are eligible.During the spring 2025 campaign, 60% of those aged 75 years old or over received the COVID-19 vaccine, as did 24.5% of those aged under 75 years old who also have a suppressed immune system. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-seasonIt is too early in the autumn 2025 campaign to provide coverage data.

Which 13 NHS Trusts have been selected to pilot the value-based procurement guidance.

The Department is developing Value Based Procurement Standard Guidance to improve the National Health Service’s consistency in the procurement of medical technology in England, shifting the focus from buying the cheapest to considering wider factors to ensure that taxpayer money delivers better outcomes for patients, staff, and the environment.Procurement decisions will be based on a minimum of 60% weighting from five value domains, including the mandated minimum 10% on Social Value. The remaining 40% is a maximum weighting for Whole Life Cost. The guidance includes the choice of 21 questions across the five value domains. For example, where improvement to hospital productivity is assessed, real world evidence on the impact to the length of stay, procedure time, and/or readmission rates will be required.The following 13 NHS trusts, covered by nine procurement teams, are piloting the guidance before national rollout across the NHS in England in early 2026:the Birmingham and Solihull Procurement Collaborative, which itself comprises of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust; the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust;the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust;the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;the North Bristol NHS Trust;the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; andthe University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

What criteria his Department is using to evaluate (a) effectiveness and (b) value in the new NHS medical technology procurement model.

The Department is developing Value Based Procurement Standard Guidance to improve the National Health Service’s consistency in the procurement of medical technology in England, shifting the focus from buying the cheapest to considering wider factors to ensure that taxpayer money delivers better outcomes for patients, staff, and the environment.Procurement decisions will be based on a minimum of 60% weighting from five value domains, including the mandated minimum 10% on Social Value. The remaining 40% is a maximum weighting for Whole Life Cost. The guidance includes the choice of 21 questions across the five value domains. For example, where improvement to hospital productivity is assessed, real world evidence on the impact to the length of stay, procedure time, and/or readmission rates will be required.The following 13 NHS trusts, covered by nine procurement teams, are piloting the guidance before national rollout across the NHS in England in early 2026:the Birmingham and Solihull Procurement Collaborative, which itself comprises of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust; the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust;the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust;the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;the North Bristol NHS Trust;the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; andthe University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

What recent discussions he has had with representatives of he Lobular Moonshot project.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met with representatives of the Lobular Moonshot project on 14 July 2025. Department officials again met with representatives on 29 July 2025, where it was determined that the most pressing research priorities were in discovery science, which sits within the Medical Research Council’s remit. On 18 September researchers involved with the Lobular Moonshot Project met with the Medical Research Council. The Department has also recently exchanged written correspondence with representatives of the Lobular Moonshot project.Both the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research have committed to continuing to work with the Lobular Moonshot Campaign team to support the development of fundable research proposals in this area and help drive our collective ambition to increase the understanding and effective management of this disease.

What steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis rates for postural tachycardia syndrome.

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve early diagnosis rates for prostate cancer.

We recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that patients have timely access to diagnosis and treatment, and we remain committed to diagnosing all cancer types earlier, including prostate cancer.The Government has invested £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which is seeking to find ways to catch prostate cancer in men as early as possible.The Department will publish a National Cancer Plan which will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients in England, speed up diagnosis and treatment, and ensure patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year.Information on the current average waiting time from referral to treatment for prostate cancer in each National Health Service trust is not held centrally. However, we do publish data on the number of people receiving treatment for cancer, broken down by cancer type and including prostate cancer, compared to the 62-day standard. This data is published monthly, and a copy of the latest publication is attached.

What the current average waiting time is from referral to treatment for prostate cancer patients in each NHS trust.

We recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that patients have timely access to diagnosis and treatment, and we remain committed to diagnosing all cancer types earlier, including prostate cancer.The Government has invested £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which is seeking to find ways to catch prostate cancer in men as early as possible.The Department will publish a National Cancer Plan which will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients in England, speed up diagnosis and treatment, and ensure patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year.Information on the current average waiting time from referral to treatment for prostate cancer in each National Health Service trust is not held centrally. However, we do publish data on the number of people receiving treatment for cancer, broken down by cancer type and including prostate cancer, compared to the 62-day standard. This data is published monthly, and a copy of the latest publication is attached.

How many children and young people are in receipt of Children and Young People’s Continuing Care packages in the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board area.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the needs of their local populations. NHS England supports ICBs to implement the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, and it has now started to collect Children and Young People’s Continuing Care activity data as part of the All-age Continuing Care Patient Level Dataset which launched on 1 April 2025, and which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/all-age-continuing-care-data-set/about-the-all-age-continuing-care-data-setNational data on Children and Young People’s Continuing Care is not yet available. NHS England data shows that the total number of adults aged 18 years old and over in England who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) was 50,281 as of the last day of Quarter one of 2025/26. The CHC’s Statistical Press Release for Quarter one of 2025/26 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/CHC_Statistical_Press_Release_Q1_2025_26_DQ55g.pdfThe relationship between Children and Young People’s Continuing Care and hospital admissions is not monitored nationally and the data on the numbers of children in receipt of Children and Young People’s Continuing Care packages and the cost of the packages by region is not held centrally. ICBs may hold relevant information as they have a statutory duty to meet the reasonable needs of an individual. For health services, the duty is that of Sections 3 to 6 of the NHS Act 2006 and accompanying regulations.

What funding his Department has provided to prostate cancer public awareness campaigns in each of the last five years.

We recognise the importance of raising awareness of prostate cancer, to support earlier diagnosis. The Department does not ring-fence funding exclusively for prostate cancer public awareness campaigns. Awareness-raising is often supported via broader cancer or men’s health communication programmes, working in partnership with charities and National Health Service bodies.The NHS, and several other local and national organisations, published information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This information can be found on the NHS website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms/In January 2025, NHS England re-launched its Abdominal and urological symptoms of cancer phase of the Help Us Help You public awareness campaigns. These public campaigns aim to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner.Cancer Alliances receive a place-based funding allocation from the NHS Cancer Programme from which they can draw down to support local awareness and early diagnosis activity. This can be used to raise awareness for a range of cancers, including prostate cancer.

What the average annual cost is of a Children and Young People’s Continuing Care package by region.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the needs of their local populations. NHS England supports ICBs to implement the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, and it has now started to collect Children and Young People’s Continuing Care activity data as part of the All-age Continuing Care Patient Level Dataset which launched on 1 April 2025, and which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/all-age-continuing-care-data-set/about-the-all-age-continuing-care-data-setNational data on Children and Young People’s Continuing Care is not yet available. NHS England data shows that the total number of adults aged 18 years old and over in England who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) was 50,281 as of the last day of Quarter one of 2025/26. The CHC’s Statistical Press Release for Quarter one of 2025/26 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/CHC_Statistical_Press_Release_Q1_2025_26_DQ55g.pdfThe relationship between Children and Young People’s Continuing Care and hospital admissions is not monitored nationally and the data on the numbers of children in receipt of Children and Young People’s Continuing Care packages and the cost of the packages by region is not held centrally. ICBs may hold relevant information as they have a statutory duty to meet the reasonable needs of an individual. For health services, the duty is that of Sections 3 to 6 of the NHS Act 2006 and accompanying regulations.

What steps his Department is taking to monitor the impact of Children and Young People’s Continuing Care on hospital admissions among children with complex health needs.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the needs of their local populations. NHS England supports ICBs to implement the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, and it has now started to collect Children and Young People’s Continuing Care activity data as part of the All-age Continuing Care Patient Level Dataset which launched on 1 April 2025, and which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/all-age-continuing-care-data-set/about-the-all-age-continuing-care-data-setNational data on Children and Young People’s Continuing Care is not yet available. NHS England data shows that the total number of adults aged 18 years old and over in England who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) was 50,281 as of the last day of Quarter one of 2025/26. The CHC’s Statistical Press Release for Quarter one of 2025/26 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/CHC_Statistical_Press_Release_Q1_2025_26_DQ55g.pdfThe relationship between Children and Young People’s Continuing Care and hospital admissions is not monitored nationally and the data on the numbers of children in receipt of Children and Young People’s Continuing Care packages and the cost of the packages by region is not held centrally. ICBs may hold relevant information as they have a statutory duty to meet the reasonable needs of an individual. For health services, the duty is that of Sections 3 to 6 of the NHS Act 2006 and accompanying regulations.