Written questions by McDonald.

What the registration rate per NHS dentist was in each (a) integrated care board and (b) local authority area in England in each year since 2010.

The information requested is not held centrally. Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK website profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. Further information is available at the following link: www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

How many courses of dental treatment were delivered by an NHS dentist in the (a) Middlesbrough and (b) Stockton-on-Tees local authority area in each year since 2010 by treatment band.

The following table shows the number of unique adult patients seen by a National Health Service dentist in the Middlesborough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas, in the 24 months to June, each year from 2013 to 2024:YearStockton-on-TeesMiddlesborough201390,84370,962201489,49970,394201588,27970,055201688,39273,350201787,80373,490201886,58973,100201985,85956,729202081,50752,893202174,71844,770202269,79738,516202375,80542,998202473,48345,287Source: figures prior to 2019 were published by NHS Digital, and are available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statisticsNote: the figures from the two different data sources are not directly comparable, and caution should be taken when comparing pre and post 2019 figures.The following table shows the number of unique child patients seen by an NHS dentist in the Middlesborough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas, in the 12 months to June, each year from 2013 to 2024:YearStockton-on-TeesMiddlesborough201333,10525,002201432,61125,312201532,64825,720201628,00622,755201728,48122,608201828,75422,673201926,85917,892202025,41315,617202117,1318,166202224,04413,579202325,66716,231202427,28817,520Source: figures prior to 2019 were published by NHS Digital, and are available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statisticsNote: the figures from the two different data sources are not directly comparable, and caution should be taken when comparing pre and post 2019 figures.In addition, the attached tables show the number of courses of treatment delivered by an NHS dentist in the Middlesborough and Stockton-on-Tees local authorities, respectively, broken down by band, from 2013/14 to 2023/24.We do not hold local authority level data for the number of adults and children seen prior to 2013, or for the courses of treatment prior to 2013/14. The most recent data has been published by NHS Business Services Authority, and is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of health services for women.

Women’s health is a priority for this government. We are considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy and aligning our work on women’s health with the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan.Work continues to improve health outcomes for women, including the £25 million women’s health hubs pilot, new NICE guidance on endometriosis and menopause and extending the Baby Loss Certificate service.

What guidance his Department issues to NHS facilities on advertising the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme in cancer screening appointment communications.

The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme does not cover travel costs for any National Health Service screening programme, including cancer screening. Further details of what is covered under this scheme and who is eligible, is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/

What steps his Department has taken to improve attendance at cancer screening appointments.

There are currently three fully rolled out National Health Service cancer screening programmes: bowel; breast; and cervical. Lung cancer screening is also a formal programme, but is yet to be fully rolled out.Bowel cancer screening has already introduced the faecal immunochemical test, which is an easier test to use and is done at home. Evidence shows more people from low participation groups such as men, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and people in deprived areas have engaged with screening since its introduction.For breast screening, NHS England has developed a national uptake improvement plan in collaboration with key stakeholders such as cancer alliances. This plan includes a full review of the breast screening pathway, scoping digital innovations to improve uptake, evidence gathering on barriers to attend screening, investment to promote text message reminder alerts, media campaigns, and improved inclusive information.Uptake of cervical screening has been declining for the last decade. As well as local initiatives to improve uptake, such as out of hours appointments, the UK National Screening Committee is looking at the use of human papillomavirus self-sampling for non-attenders following publication of the YouScreen study in July 2024. In addition, an in-service evaluation is being commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care research to determine whether self-sampling could be offered to everyone eligible for cervical screening.