Written questions by Sabine.

What steps he is taking to increase the uptake of smear tests.

To support improving access and uptake of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, the National Health Service has a series of initiatives underway, including:developing a digital-first approach to cervical screening invitations and reminders;introducing revised invitation correspondence, and a subsequent reminder letter, that is sent at 24.5 years old to specifically highlight the need to attend cervical screening, even if they have had the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and raise awareness of HPV vaccine catch-up offers, for those up to 25 years old;using the new IT system, the Cervical Screening Management System, to enable an opt-in process for transgender and non-binary people’s screening invitations, to ensure that no-one eligible misses the opportunity to be invited and participate;expanding the of the range of accessible public information materials across all screening programmes, and continuing to highlight the importance of screening within our regular equalities-focused communications and engagement;developing an agile cervical screening workforce that can respond to fluctuations in demand through workforce planning, accounting for potential future changes to screening offers, directed by the UK National Screening Committee;identifying low-cost or no-cost opportunities to communicate the NHS’s aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, highlighting the value of cervical screening and the HPV vaccination as fundamental to achieving this goal; andThe UK National Screening Committee’s consideration of whether the introduction of self-sampling for non-attenders to the cervical screening programme may increase uptake.

What steps he is taking to increase the uptake of HPV vaccinations for (a) girls and (b) boys.

NHS Commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme. This is based on population need, and utilises opportunities from the move to one dose in September 2023. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with several charities to develop resources to raise awareness of HPV. The UKHSA also publishes annual statistics, which are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2022-to-2023/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccination-coverage-in-adolescents-in-england-2022-to-2023These support local National Health Service teams in developing plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities for the HPV universal programme. NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the vaccine outside of schools, through community clinics at convenient times and locations. The UKHSA produces a number of HPV resources, which are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programme.Materials are also available on the UKHSA Health Publications website in a range of languages and accessible formats, at the following link:https://www.healthpublications.gov.uk/Home.html

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing qualified mental health professionals to schools.

We know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for children and young people. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across child and adult mental health services, and introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school. We will set out our timeline for introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in due course.

How often he meets with the British Dental Association; and when he last met with that organisation.

Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including but not limited to dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.

What plans he has to introduce dental provision for students in schools.

We are committed to implementing a national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme to three, four, and five year olds living in our most deprived areas.

What steps he is taking to increase HPV vaccination uptake amongst school-aged boys.

National Health Service Commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme based on population need.The UK Health Security Agency works closely wi...

What resources she is allocating to Integrated Care Boards to help them achieve an increase in the number of NHS dental appointments.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. We have also i...

What steps he is taking to ensure contracts made between the NHS and private providers aren't acquired by private equity companies.

In accordance with the NHS Provider Selection Regime, contracts for National Health Service-funded healthcare services may be awarded to NHS trusts or foundation trusts and to non-NHS providers from the private and voluntary sectors. It is possible for a ...

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the length of time between diagnosis and the start of radiotherapy treatment.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.Lord Darzi’s report has set out the scale of the challenges we face in fixing the ...

If he will make an estimate of the number of unpaid carers in Frome and East Somerset constituency.

The 2021 Census found that there are approximately 4.7 million people in England who said they provided unpaid care. In the Frome and East Somerset constituency, the Census data showed that there were 7,900 people who said they provided unpaid care.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of insulin stocks in pharmacies in Somerset.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. No assessment has been made, as information on stock levels within individual pharmacies is not held centrally. Local demand is managed by individual pharmacies.We are aware of supply issues with Tresiba FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre pre-filled pens and Fiasp FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre pre-filled pens. The Department continues to work with the respective manufacturers to help resolve the supply issues. We have issued communications to National Health Service healthcare professionals, providing comprehensive management guidance, advice, and information, to allow them to support their patients. These supply issues do not only affect the United Kingdom, and we have a range of well-established processes to manage them when they do occur.

What the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was to access children and adolescent mental health services in Somerset in each of the last ten years.

The information regarding what the average and longest waiting times were to access children and adolescent mental health services in Somerset is shown in the attached table.This report provides data on the number of referrals for children and young people waiting and entering treatment for mental health services along with median and 90th percentile waits.The data provided covers the reporting period 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024 and has been grouped at national level and at integrated care board (ICB) level for ICBs which cover Somerset. The data at ICB level has been rounded and suppressed in accordance with Mental Health Services Dataset suppression rules. NHS England have no published data for a comparable date prior to 2023/24.