Written questions by Jones.

What provision the National Cancer Plan will make for orphan drug pathways for patients with rare cancers requiring personalised treatment plans; and how those pathways will differ from existing commissioning arrangements.

On 4 February 2026, NHS England and the Department published a National Cancer Plan for England. The National Cancer Plan is part of our work to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and will make England a world-leader for cancer survival.The orphan drug designation is assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and is granted at the same time as the marketing authorisation. It provides a period of market exclusivity during which similar competitor medicines cannot enter the United Kingdom market. The orphan drug regulations are designed to support the development of medicines to treat rare diseases including rare cancers.All new licensed medicines, including orphan medicines, are evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which makes recommendations for the NHS on whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the time of licensing, and the NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE. NICE has a strong track record in recommending orphan medicines for use on the NHS and many thousands of patients with rare diseases have benefitted from access to new medicines as a result.The Rare Cancers Bill, currently going through the House of Lords, places a duty on the Government to publish a review of the law related to marketing authorisation for rare cancer drugs, for instance orphan drugs for cancer, comparing the UK’s approach to other approaches internationally. Through the National Cancer Plan the Government has committed to full implement of the Rare Cancers Bill to streamline trial pathways and review regulatory barriers that prevent access to promising new treatments.

What steps he is taking to align NICE appraisal timelines, MHRA regulatory pathways and NHS commissioning decisions to support the delivery of personalised cancer medicines.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost effective new medicines. The National Health Service in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of final guidance, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding through the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation, bringing forward patient access by up to five months.Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan, we are improving alignment between Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency licensing and NICE guidance, helping medicines reach patients three to six months faster. This includes a coordinated pathway and integrated advice service for developers, launching in March 2026, to streamline regulatory and Health Technology Assessment processes and support timely patient access. The Life Sciences Sector Plan is published and available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688c90a8e8ba9507fc1b090c/Life_Sciences_Sector_Plan.pdf

What steps he is taking to ensure that funding for wheelchair users is adequate to meet essential needs, including equipment and specialist support.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population. NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment.This includes the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets, including through legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.NHS England also published a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs. The framework is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from ICBs on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. The latest figures from the Quarter 2 2025/26 National Wheelchair Data Collection showed that 84% of adults and 78% of children received their equipment within 18 weeks. Further information on the National Wheelchair Data Collection is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhse-national-wheelchair-data-collection/q2-2025-26Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under various legislations, including the Care Act 2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Some local authorities deliver this themselves, but a significant number have external contracts for an integrated community equipment service.NHS England is also responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to ICBs. NHS England’s allocations policy aims to support equal opportunity of access for equal need, alongside NHS England’s duties to reduce health inequalities that are amenable to healthcare.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has marked 2025/26 as a financial reset year with the publication of Planning Guidance 2025/26. He has been clear that systems must live within their means, exhausting all opportunities to improve productivity, tackle waste, and take decisions on how to prioritise resources to best meet the health needs of their local population.

Whether he plans to ensure that NHS organisations and contracted wheelchair service providers are subject to more rigorous, mandatory regulation.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population. NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment.This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs. The framework is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/NHS England also introduced personal wheelchair budgets, including legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from ICBs on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. The latest figures from the Quarter 2 2025/26 National Wheelchair Data Collection showed that 84% of adults and 78% of children received their equipment within 18 weeks. Further information on the National Wheelchair Data Collection is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhse-national-wheelchair-data-collection/q2-2025-26The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets a requirement for all providers and ICBs to actively manage long waits for community health services reducing the proportion of all waits over 18 weeks. This will be monitored via the NHS’s usual regional and national assurance processes.The Community Health Services Situation Report, which will be used to monitor ICB performance against waiting time targets in 2026/27, currently monitors waiting times for both children and young people, and adult waiting times under the ‘Wheelchair, Orthotics, Prosthetics and Equipment’ line. These targets will guide systems to reduce the longest waits, and improvement initiatives to meet these targets may affect waits that are over 18-weeks and 52-weeks.

What statistics he has on the demand for and use of wheelchairs; and how that data informs NHS England’s commissioning of appropriate services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population. NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment.This includes the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets, including through legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.NHS England also published a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs. The framework is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from ICBs on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. The latest figures from the Quarter 2 2025/26 National Wheelchair Data Collection showed that 84% of adults and 78% of children received their equipment within 18 weeks. Further information on the National Wheelchair Data Collection is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhse-national-wheelchair-data-collection/q2-2025-26Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under various legislations, including the Care Act 2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Some local authorities deliver this themselves, but a significant number have external contracts for an integrated community equipment service.NHS England is also responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to ICBs. NHS England’s allocations policy aims to support equal opportunity of access for equal need, alongside NHS England’s duties to reduce health inequalities that are amenable to healthcare.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has marked 2025/26 as a financial reset year with the publication of Planning Guidance 2025/26. He has been clear that systems must live within their means, exhausting all opportunities to improve productivity, tackle waste, and take decisions on how to prioritise resources to best meet the health needs of their local population.

Whether he plans to make the recently developed service specification guidelines for wheelchair services mandatory across England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population. NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment.This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs. The framework is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/NHS England also introduced personal wheelchair budgets, including legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from ICBs on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. The latest figures from the Quarter 2 2025/26 National Wheelchair Data Collection showed that 84% of adults and 78% of children received their equipment within 18 weeks. Further information on the National Wheelchair Data Collection is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhse-national-wheelchair-data-collection/q2-2025-26The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets a requirement for all providers and ICBs to actively manage long waits for community health services reducing the proportion of all waits over 18 weeks. This will be monitored via the NHS’s usual regional and national assurance processes.The Community Health Services Situation Report, which will be used to monitor ICB performance against waiting time targets in 2026/27, currently monitors waiting times for both children and young people, and adult waiting times under the ‘Wheelchair, Orthotics, Prosthetics and Equipment’ line. These targets will guide systems to reduce the longest waits, and improvement initiatives to meet these targets may affect waits that are over 18-weeks and 52-weeks.

If he will make it his policy to extend access to free and subsidized vitamin D supplements to at-risk groups identified in NICE PH56.

In 2016, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a robust assessment of the evidence on vitamin D and a wide range of health outcomes resulting in the current advice for everyone to take a 10 microgram, or 400 international units, daily supplement of vitamin D during the autumn and winter. This advice is particularly important for those with limited exposure to sunlight during the spring and summer, those with dark skin, and those who usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors. These groups are more at risk of not having enough vitamin D and these groups are advised to take a vitamin D supplement all year round. The SACN is currently carrying out a rapid review of the vitamin D requirements for people with higher melanin concentration.Vitamin D intakes and status, the concentrations in the blood, are monitored through the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Latest findings, from 2019 to 2023, showed that vitamin D intakes from diet and supplements were below recommendations and low vitamin D concentrations in the blood were found in 18% of adults aged 19 to 64 years old and 23% of children aged 11 to 18 years old. Analysis by ethnicity is not currently possible due to small sample sizes but will be considered in future years.Government recommendations on vitamin D are promoted on the National Health Service webpage and through public-facing social marketing campaigns, namely Best Start in Life, Better Health, and Healthier Families. These channels help ensure that at-risk groups, as well as the general population, are aware of the importance of supplementation.Targeted support is also available for families through Government’s Healthy Start scheme which encourages a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In January 2026, Healthy Start supported over 353,000 pregnant women and children aged under four years old.Healthy Start beneficiaries are eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins which include folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breast-feeding women, and vitamins A, C, and D for children.  The formulations are in line with recommendations from the Government’s independent SACN for supplements.

If he will develop a vitamin D food fortification policy.

In 2016, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a robust assessment of the evidence on vitamin D and a wide range of health outcomes resulting in the current advice for everyone to take a 10 microgram, or 400 international units, daily supplement of vitamin D during the autumn and winter. This advice is particularly important for those with limited exposure to sunlight during the spring and summer, those with dark skin, and those who usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors. These groups are more at risk of not having enough vitamin D and these groups are advised to take a vitamin D supplement all year round. The SACN is currently carrying out a rapid review of the vitamin D requirements for people with higher melanin concentration.Vitamin D intakes and status, the concentrations in the blood, are monitored through the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Latest findings, from 2019 to 2023, showed that vitamin D intakes from diet and supplements were below recommendations and low vitamin D concentrations in the blood were found in 18% of adults aged 19 to 64 years old and 23% of children aged 11 to 18 years old. Analysis by ethnicity is not currently possible due to small sample sizes but will be considered in future years.Government recommendations on vitamin D are promoted on the National Health Service webpage and through public-facing social marketing campaigns, namely Best Start in Life, Better Health, and Healthier Families. These channels help ensure that at-risk groups, as well as the general population, are aware of the importance of supplementation.Targeted support is also available for families through Government’s Healthy Start scheme which encourages a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In January 2026, Healthy Start supported over 353,000 pregnant women and children aged under four years old.Healthy Start beneficiaries are eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins which include folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breast-feeding women, and vitamins A, C, and D for children.  The formulations are in line with recommendations from the Government’s independent SACN for supplements.

If he will ask the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition to review whether current vitamin D supplementation recommendations (a) adequately serve all population groups and (b) take adequate account of evidence relating to risks to people with higher melanin concentration.

In 2016, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a robust assessment of the evidence on vitamin D and a wide range of health outcomes resulting in the current advice for everyone to take a 10 microgram, or 400 international units, daily supplement of vitamin D during the autumn and winter. This advice is particularly important for those with limited exposure to sunlight during the spring and summer, those with dark skin, and those who usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors. These groups are more at risk of not having enough vitamin D and these groups are advised to take a vitamin D supplement all year round. The SACN is currently carrying out a rapid review of the vitamin D requirements for people with higher melanin concentration.Vitamin D intakes and status, the concentrations in the blood, are monitored through the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Latest findings, from 2019 to 2023, showed that vitamin D intakes from diet and supplements were below recommendations and low vitamin D concentrations in the blood were found in 18% of adults aged 19 to 64 years old and 23% of children aged 11 to 18 years old. Analysis by ethnicity is not currently possible due to small sample sizes but will be considered in future years.Government recommendations on vitamin D are promoted on the National Health Service webpage and through public-facing social marketing campaigns, namely Best Start in Life, Better Health, and Healthier Families. These channels help ensure that at-risk groups, as well as the general population, are aware of the importance of supplementation.Targeted support is also available for families through Government’s Healthy Start scheme which encourages a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In January 2026, Healthy Start supported over 353,000 pregnant women and children aged under four years old.Healthy Start beneficiaries are eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins which include folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breast-feeding women, and vitamins A, C, and D for children.  The formulations are in line with recommendations from the Government’s independent SACN for supplements.

What steps he is taking to (a) collect and (b) publish vitamin D deficiency statistics broken down by ethnicity.

In 2016, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a robust assessment of the evidence on vitamin D and a wide range of health outcomes resulting in the current advice for everyone to take a 10 microgram, or 400 international units, daily supplement of vitamin D during the autumn and winter. This advice is particularly important for those with limited exposure to sunlight during the spring and summer, those with dark skin, and those who usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors. These groups are more at risk of not having enough vitamin D and these groups are advised to take a vitamin D supplement all year round. The SACN is currently carrying out a rapid review of the vitamin D requirements for people with higher melanin concentration.Vitamin D intakes and status, the concentrations in the blood, are monitored through the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Latest findings, from 2019 to 2023, showed that vitamin D intakes from diet and supplements were below recommendations and low vitamin D concentrations in the blood were found in 18% of adults aged 19 to 64 years old and 23% of children aged 11 to 18 years old. Analysis by ethnicity is not currently possible due to small sample sizes but will be considered in future years.Government recommendations on vitamin D are promoted on the National Health Service webpage and through public-facing social marketing campaigns, namely Best Start in Life, Better Health, and Healthier Families. These channels help ensure that at-risk groups, as well as the general population, are aware of the importance of supplementation.Targeted support is also available for families through Government’s Healthy Start scheme which encourages a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In January 2026, Healthy Start supported over 353,000 pregnant women and children aged under four years old.Healthy Start beneficiaries are eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins which include folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breast-feeding women, and vitamins A, C, and D for children.  The formulations are in line with recommendations from the Government’s independent SACN for supplements.

What steps he is taking to help reduce health disparities linked to high vitamin D deficiency rates in at-risk population groups.

Government recommendations for vitamin D are promoted on the National Health Service webpage and through the social marketing campaigns Best Start in Life, Better Health, and Healthier Families.The Government’s Healthy Start Scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under the age of four years old from very low-income households. Beneficiaries are eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins which include folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breast-feeding women and vitamins A, C and D for children.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Public Health Guideline, reference code PH56, gives information on vitamin D supplementation for population groups specifically at risk of deficiency, including how to increase awareness of and access to vitamin D supplements.

What steps he is taking to (a) swiftly reopen referrals to the Adult ADHD Service at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust once they close on 1 December 2025, and (b) ensure that Adult ADHD Services in Berkshire have sufficient resources to remain open.

The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service is not closing. From 1 December 2025, the trust will temporarily stop accepting new referrals. The trust has taken this short-term measure to protect patient safety and ensure the service can continue providing safe and effective care. Referrals will reopen once the immediate pressures are resolved and the redesign work is complete. This difficult decision was made locally following discussion with the integrated care boards (ICBs), the Frimley ICB and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB. The pause has been introduced because demand for ADHD assessments and ongoing support has risen significantly in recent years, both locally and nationally, far beyond the level the service was originally resourced to deliver. This has led to long waits and a substantial number of overdue annual ADHD reviews. Temporarily pausing new referrals will allow Berkshire Healthcare to prioritise the provision of a safe service for existing patients, complete essential reviews, and support a sustainable redesign of the service. The trust will continue to provide care for people already receiving treatment. Those already referred for assessment or medication will remain on the waiting list, and the transition of care from the children’s ADHD service to adult ADHD services will continue. General practitioners (GPs) continue to be able to refer to Right to Choose providers for assessment and diagnosis of ADHD for adults. Berkshire Healthcare is committed to working closely with system partners to ensure the adult ADHD service is able to deliver sustainable, high-quality care and to enable the reopening of referrals as soon as it is clinically appropriate. The ICB is leading an adult ADHD service transformation programme which has been shaped by experts by experience, clinicians, and managers from the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. It is expected that the implementation of the new service model will start in 2026/27. An increase in resources has already been agreed to support GPs in participating in shared care, and work is underway to prioritise investment in the new service model for 2026/27. The Government has recognised that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support.It is the responsibility of ICBs in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing timely and equitable access to services and support. We are pleased that the taskforce's final report was published in November, and we are carefully considering its recommendations.

What discussions he has had with (a) representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, (b) the NHS, (c) Cabinet colleagues and (d) other stakeholders on indication-specific pricing of medications used in the treatment of more than one form of cancer.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not held any meetings specifically on the topic of indication-specific pricing of medications used in the treatment of more than one form of cancer.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of patients with (a) suspected and (b) confirmed rare cancers who have access to treatments through clinical trials of medications currently approved for other indications.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with rare cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials, including trials where medicines are repurposed, as well as innovative, lifesaving treatments.The Department is working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including for rare cancers. The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including patients with rare cancers. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.

What steps he is taking to improve turnaround times for genomic and biomarker testing of suspected cancers in (a) Berkshire and (b) the UK.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is delivered by a network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs), with the South-East GLH serving Berkshire. Genomic testing is one element of the cancer pathway, with other dependencies on overall turnaround times. NHS England captures Patient Level Contract Monitoring data across the GLHs, and performance data is published quarterly on the NHS England website, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/NHS England has developed a Cancer Genomic Improvement Programme to support the equitable delivery of services for cancer patients. The Cancer Genomic Improvement Programme engages representatives from across the entire sample pathway. The programme also includes establishing Cellular Pathology Genomic Centres to streamline diagnostic sample pathways and support the timely return of genomic test results.NHS England is not responsible for NHS turnaround times in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

What steps he is taking to improve the (a) recognition of the signs and symptoms of rare cancers by General Practitioners and (b) rate of referral to specialist diagnostic testing for patients who present with signs and symptoms of rare cancers.

The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including rare and less common cancers, earlier and to treat them faster.The Department is taking steps to improve public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, including rare and less common cancers, through supporting the NHS in streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. The Department is also committed to ensuring that general practitioners have the right training and systems to identify cancer, including rare and less common cancers. The use of specific clinical decision support tools is agreed at a local level.Furthermore, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type. The Department will continue to look at opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform diagnostic performance and ultimately bring down waiting times, including for cancer.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including for rare and less common cancers. The plan will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment and will ensure that all patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

If he will take steps to ensure that the National Genomic Test Directory for Cancer is expanded to include known biomarkers for rare forms of cancer.

The National Genomic Test Directory includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, and includes both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing. It is updated annually, following a robust and evidence-based process, with a fast-track scheme in place to make in-year changes. ​The NHS Genomic Medicine Service has implemented next generation sequencing pan-cancer panels for solid tumours and haematological malignancies, including for rare cancers, as well as WGS for cancer patients. This has enabled testing for a larger number of genetic variations, the identification of known biomarkers to target treatment, and improved eligibility for clinical trials.In April 2025, NHS England and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a genomic testing pathway to support the rapid, safe adoption of innovation in genomics, including, for example, new testing for known biomarkers, into the National Health Service. Further information on the NICE genomic testing pathway is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-england-nice-genomic-testing-pathway/

If he will make it his policy to establish a regular bladder cancer audit to (a) reduce data gaps in the reporting of (i) incidence and (ii) staging, (b) capture data on inequalities and (c) provide an evidence base for addressing unwarranted variation in early diagnosis and outcomes for bladder cancer.

The NHS Cancer Programme commissioned the Royal College of Surgeons to deliver six new clinical audits, in primary breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney cancer, on top of four existing audits in bowel, lung, oesophago-gastric, and prostate cancer. These audits were chosen because analysts considered that they are the cancers which audits would have the most potential to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and outcomes. For these reasons, there are no plans to undertake a clinical audit for bladder cancer.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with bladder cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

If he will announce a timeline for the NHS Genomic Medicine Service to establish a public facing dashboard setting out data on (a) turnaround times and (b) volume of testing activity across each genomic laboratory hub.

Since December 2023, National Health Service genomic testing activity data has been published on the NHS England website, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/This standardised data is collected from all NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). GLHs and NHS England will continue to publish genomic testing activity data on a quarterly basis. Currently, only activity data is published, however there are plans to add turnaround time data in future publications.

What assessment his Department has made of the merits of including PSA testing in routine NHS health checks.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has commissioned a university to carry out a high quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes considering evidence that looks at targeted screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, as well as looking at other screening tests.The UK NSC’s previous review in 2020 advised against screening because the current best test, the PSA test, is not accurate. As a result, it can lead to some men receiving false reassurance when they do actually have prostate cancer, and others receiving unnecessary further tests when they did not have prostate cancer.We need a better test, which is why the Government has invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, to look for a better test.