Written questions by Jones.

When funding will be allocated for the Royal Berkshire Hospital's rebuild under the New Hospital Programme.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan for implementation was laid in the House Library and published on the GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcomeAs confirmed in this publication, the scheme for Royal Berkshire Hospital is in wave three of the NHP and is now expected to commence construction of the main build between 2037 to 2039.Through the business case process, the trust will set out the costs and the source of funding for their new hospital scheme, including the amounts expected to come from Public Dividend Capital as well as any charitable donations or land sales, if relevant. The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. The current estimated cost of the scheme, as of January 2025, is over £2 billion.In the 2024 Autumn Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced an increase in health capital spending, to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, including over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance and tackle dangerous Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete. Further details on this funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025/26, as part of the National Health Service’s planning guidance. Budgets for future years will be confirmed as part of the upcoming Spending Review. The state of the NHS estate and safety impacts will be considered as part of this.

What information her Department holds on patient data that would indicate disease progression at point of diagnosis in blood cancers.

The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services (NCRAS), collects information on how many people in England have cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ All cases of cancer diagnosed and treated in the National Health Service in England are registered by the NCRAS. This creates a clinically rich data resource that is used to measure diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by the NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiology.

How much NHS Trusts paid to private companies for (a) outsourcing and (b) locums for radiology services in the most recent period for which information is available.

NHS England does not hold this information centrally.

How much funding his Department plans to provide to the Royal Berkshire Hospital to resolve its maintenance backlog.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan for implementation was laid in the House Library and published on the GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcomeAs confirmed in this publication, the scheme for Royal Berkshire Hospital is in wave three of the NHP and is now expected to commence construction of the main build between 2037 to 2039.Through the business case process, the trust will set out the costs and the source of funding for their new hospital scheme, including the amounts expected to come from Public Dividend Capital as well as any charitable donations or land sales, if relevant. The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. The current estimated cost of the scheme, as of January 2025, is over £2 billion.In the 2024 Autumn Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced an increase in health capital spending, to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, including over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance and tackle dangerous Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete. Further details on this funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025/26, as part of the National Health Service’s planning guidance. Budgets for future years will be confirmed as part of the upcoming Spending Review. The state of the NHS estate and safety impacts will be considered as part of this.

With reference to the oral statement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of 15 January 2025, Official Report, column 363, and pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19158 on GPs, what the evidential basis is that there are hundreds of GPs recruited by the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme.

Data on the number of general practitioners employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is not currently published. Information on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is currently being collated. We are working to verify the data and establish its reliability, which is necessary before any dataset can be published.

What proportion of NHS Trusts have implemented recruitment freezes in (a) scanning and (b) cancer departments.

The Department does not currently hold this information. We will engage further with NHS England on this matter.

What steps he is taking to promote cooperation between Integrated Care Boards on (a) data and (b) treatment options for patients.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has announced that there will be a single patient record that allow all providers access to a comprehensive record, to relevant depth and with appropriate safeguards. This would allow patient data to be shared, if necessary, between services in different integrated care boards (ICBs) and give professionals access to the information they need to make the best-informed decisions when delivering care and treatment.In addition, the NHS Standing Rules set out specific obligations on ICBs to enable patients to choose aspects of their healthcare.Commissioners need to ensure where a patient requires a physical health elective referral for a first outpatient appointment and any subsequent treatment that is required, to a consultant or a member of a consultant’s team, the patient can choose any clinically appropriate provider that holds a qualifying NHS Standard Contract with any ICB or NHS England, for the service which the patient needs because of the referral.ICBs should be engaging with local primary and secondary care, and their peers, to build choice into commissioning plans and monitoring referral patterns for potential opportunities and issues related to choice.

If he will take steps to increase the five-year survival rate of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, from 22% to 44%.

The Department is committed to improving survival rates for all blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukaemia. Raising awareness, delivering more research, including into new treatments, and improving early diagnosis of cancers, which includes blood related cancers such as leukaemia, are crucial for improving cancer survival. NHS England has implemented non symptom specific 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. The national evaluation showed that blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with acute myeloid leukaemia and other cancers with lower survival rates. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be, and will provide updates in due course.

If he will issue guidance to NHS Trusts on adopting a standardised FOI request system.

The Department has no intention to publish guidance on how National Health Service trusts respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Guidance for organisations on responding to FOIs is published by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

If he will implement a measure for general practice and primary care comparable to that of the mental health investment standard.

Primary care providers, including general practices (GPs), are valued independent contractors who provide almost £20 billion worth of services in the National Health Service. Every year, we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract.We have started consulting with the General Practitioners Committee in England of the British Medical Association on the 2025/26 GP contract and will consider a range of proposed policy changes. These will be announced in the usual way following the close of the consultation in 2025.We have announced a proposed £889 million uplift for GP in 2025/26 and set out the proposed areas of reform which will help us to deliver on our manifesto commitments. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since the beginning of the five-year framework and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total NHS resources going to general practice.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 18282 on Breast Cancer: Genetics, whether workforce planning for genetic councillors will prioritise areas that have regional inequities in access to genetic counselling.

Each of the seven NHS Genomic Medicine Service regions is reviewing its local workforce strategies and people plans to understand the support needed for patients requiring genomic testing, including genetic counsellors. In addition, each of the 17 NHS Clinical Genomic Services is reviewing and planning profession capacity requirements, including genetic counsellors, to support delivery of care within timescales required for patients and clinicians.Within NHS England, the NHS Genomics Unit is working with the Workforce, Training and Education Directorate to feed genomics demand into the national workforce model. This work is aligned with the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.In addition, NHS England and the NHS Race and Health Observatory have partnered to commission an 18-month research project to investigate disparities in access to and delivery of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service faced by ethnic minority patient groups and identify actions to address any inequities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December to question 19158 on GP recruitment, for what reason this information is unavailable; and if he will make it his policy to publish the data once it is available.

Information on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is currently being collated. We are working to verify the data and establish its reliability, which is necessary before any dataset can be published.

How he plans to allocate the £100m of capital funding to upgrade 200 GP practices; and how GP practices will be able to apply for that funding.

The Department and NHS England are working with integrated care boards, including primary care representatives, to identify and prioritise high-impact projects where investment can unlock significant productivity gains and additional usable space from existing buildings. Further detail on this process will be published in forthcoming capital guidance, which is due to be published later this month.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the ability of the NHS to adopt precision medicines with companion diagnostics at pace.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. To enable rapid access for NHS patients to effective new treatments, NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the point of licensing. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.Where a companion diagnostic test is required, the costs will be built in to the NICE appraisal process. To enable the rapid implementation of these, planning for delivery of testing, including identifying appropriate testing technologies and where new testing populations need to be supported, must begin before NICE draft recommendations are published to ensure that appropriate genetic testing is available at the capacity required.

What assessment she has made of the number of cancer medicines used in the NHS compared to other European countries.

Whilst the Department has made no such assessment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends most new licensed cancer medicines for use in the treatment of National Health Service patients in England, with a current positive approval rate of 92% for cancer topics, excluding terminated appraisals, for 2024/25. This equates to 24 out of 26 appraisals.Analysis from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ W.A.I.T Indicators compares availability of new medicines across European countries. The 2024 report showed that the availability in England of cancer medicines that received an European Union marketing authorisation between 2019 and 2022 was slightly higher than the European average.

What steps his Department is taking to address the regional variation in (a) access and (b) uptake to timely treatments for blood cancer patients.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services, collects information on how many people in England have blood cancer, labelled as haematological neoplasms. This data supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contributes to improved outcomes and reduced treatment variation. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.Professor Lord Darzi has undertaken an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including blood cancer patients.

With reference to the 2024/25 priorities and operational guidance, updated on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to hold NHS England accountable for implementing regular demand and capacity assessments of Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) services.

The Department continues to support the National Health Service in England to increase cancer treatment capacity. NHS England had previously established a task-and-finish group to gather, collate, and compile available information to establish Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) delivery capacity, and to generate recommendations for the short, medium, and longer term to alleviate identified pressures on service delivery.Recommendations have been shared with local systems and, working with Cancer Alliances, they are considering how to progress those that will best support the needs of their local populations. In support of this work, each Cancer Alliance should have a nominated lead for overseeing and supporting demand and capacity of SACT across its footprint, including the completion of a bi-annual evaluation of demand and capacity of SACT services, and should escalate any issues to the relevant integrated care board for resolution.Additionally, with support from Cancer Alliances, cancer pathway improvement work will focus on maximising the productivity of cancer diagnostic and treatment pathways by regularly assessing supply and demand for systemic anti-cancer therapy services.

How the additional funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 for the National Institute for Health and Care Research will be allocated.

The 2025/26 settlement for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will fund research into a range of health and care challenges facing the population. A key element of this investment is research to support the goals of the Government health and growth missions, including investment to maximise our potential to be a world leader and develop a more competitive, efficient, and accessible clinical research system. To allocate research funding, the NIHR employs a competitive and peer-reviewed process for applications to its research funding programmes, evaluating submissions based on scientific rigour, potential patient benefits, and alignment with population health and care priorities. Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated on an ongoing basis on the ‘Open Data’ site of the NIHR at the following link: https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/pages/homepage/

When the data on the number of general practitioners employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme will be available.

Information on the number of recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) is currently being collated. We are working to verify the data and establish its reliability, which is necessary before any dataset can be published. Between 31 July 2024 and 30 November 2024, the headcount of fully qualified GPs increased by 831.The Government has delivered an £82 million boost to the ARRS over 2024/25 to enable the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has confirmed that recently qualified GPs who are employed via the ARRS will continue to be supported through the scheme in 2025/26.

What percentage of the increase in NHS England funding will be dedicated to staffing budgets.

Decisions on the allocation of resources for 2025/26 have not yet been finalised. NHS England will continue to prioritise the allocation of funding to support frontline services.