Written questions by Jones.

Whether the National Cancer Plan will take steps to increase the number of clinical academics dedicated to blood cancer research.

The Government has announced that the National Cancer Plan will be published this year, following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will ensure that cancer patients across England receive the benefits of the United Kingdom’s world-leading cancer research. We will provide updates on this in due course. We have received over 11,000 responses, from individuals, professionals, and organisations, to our call for evidence, which closed on 29 April 2025, and we are now considering those responses to inform our plan to improve cancer care.Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department is the largest funder of research training for clinical academics in the UK, supporting clinical academics at all career stages and from all professions and specialties. Since 2006, The NIHR has supported 16,000 career development awards and 13,000 awardees across 200 different professions and specialties. Since 2006, the NIHR Academy has funded 137 academic clinical fellowships, 39 clinical lectureships, and nine awards at a doctoral and post-doctoral level in haematology. The total annual spend on research training across the NIHR is estimated at £220 million.The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the UK leads the world in clinical trials, and ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to National Health Service patients, including those with blood cancer.In September 2024, NHS England announced a new targeted treatment, Quizartinib, to be prescribed to newly diagnosed patients with a specific type of leukaemia, boosting their chance of remission and long-term survival, made available through NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which fast-tracks new innovative cancer treatments into standard care. This followed a previous announcement of the new treatment Zanubrutini, in August 2024, for those with marginal zone lymphoma, which could halt the progression of their cancer and provide an alternative to further rounds of chemotherapy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 41043 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, what the cost was of each machine.

Specific information relating to which machines were purchased, including the supplier and the cost, is considered commercially sensitive, and as such will not be made public.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 41043 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, what devices have been purchased; and from which companies they have been purchased.

Specific information relating to which machines were purchased, including the supplier and the cost, is considered commercially sensitive, and as such will not be made public.

Whether the national cancer strategy will include commitments to improve outcomes for (a) acute myeloid leukaemia and (b) other rare and less common cancers.

The National Cancer Plan will seek to improve the experience and outcomes for people with rarer and less common cancers, including acute myeloid leukaemia. The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes, 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.The plan will foster opportunities for UK researchers to collaborate on international cancer research, which is particularly important for areas where affected populations are small, such as with rare cancers. The plan will also consider the ways that we can accelerate the uptake of innovative, life-saving treatments so all NHS patients can benefit. We will work closely with partners including the National Institute for Health and Care Research on this.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NHS England pilot of reducing the faecal immunochemical test threshold for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120µg/g to 80µg/g on his policies on the wider roll-out of that threshold.

NHS England is assessing the potential impact of reducing the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120µg/g to 80µg/g. This is an ongoing assessment which includes evaluating and learning from early adopter sites, undertaking activity modelling, and reviewing the modelling carried out by the School of Health and Related Research which was commissioned by the UK National Screening Committee. Alongside multi-disciplinary regional planning, this will support the planning for the wider roll-out of the threshold reduction.Activity modelling shows that the wider roll-out is likely to increase demand on specialist screening practitioners and colonoscopy services by approximately 35%. The expectation is that the reduced threshold will increase polyp detection, thereby preventing bowel cancer and also diagnosing more bowel cancers earlier.To support the early adopters and plans for reducing the threshold across all bowel cancer screening sites, there is ongoing endoscopy transformation, of symptomatic pathways, which aims to release colonoscopy capacity through a number of routes. These include:the use of FIT as a clinical triage tool in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance;the use of alternative imaging modalities such as Colon Capsule Endoscopy and Computed Tomography Colonography; andthe use of other pre diagnostic tools such as capsule sponge testing.

What estimate he has made of the colonoscopy capacity that would be required for the wider roll out of NHS England pilot to reduce the faecal immunochemical test threshold for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120µg/g to 80µg/g.

NHS England is assessing the potential impact of reducing the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120µg/g to 80µg/g. This is an ongoing assessment which includes evaluating and learning from early adopter sites, undertaking activity modelling, and reviewing the modelling carried out by the School of Health and Related Research which was commissioned by the UK National Screening Committee. Alongside multi-disciplinary regional planning, this will support the planning for the wider roll-out of the threshold reduction.Activity modelling shows that the wider roll-out is likely to increase demand on specialist screening practitioners and colonoscopy services by approximately 35%. The expectation is that the reduced threshold will increase polyp detection, thereby preventing bowel cancer and also diagnosing more bowel cancers earlier.TARGET DATE 29/04/2025To support the early adopters and plans for reducing the threshold across all bowel cancer screening sites, there is ongoing endoscopy transformation, of symptomatic pathways, which aims to release colonoscopy capacity through a number of routes. These include:the use of FIT as a clinical triage tool in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance;the use of alternative imaging modalities such as Colon Capsule Endoscopy and Computed Tomography Colonography; andthe use of other pre diagnostic tools such as capsule sponge testing.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of colonoscopy capacity for providing the bowel cancer screening programme.

NHS England is assessing the potential impact of reducing the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120µg/g to 80µg/g. This is an ongoing assessment which includes evaluating and learning from early adopter sites, undertaking activity modelling, and reviewing the modelling carried out by the School of Health and Related Research which was commissioned by the UK National Screening Committee. Alongside multi-disciplinary regional planning, this will support the planning for the wider roll-out of the threshold reduction.Activity modelling shows that the wider roll-out is likely to increase demand on specialist screening practitioners and colonoscopy services by approximately 35%. The expectation is that the reduced threshold will increase polyp detection, thereby preventing bowel cancer and also diagnosing more bowel cancers earlier.TARGET DATE 29/04/2025To support the early adopters and plans for reducing the threshold across all bowel cancer screening sites, there is ongoing endoscopy transformation, of symptomatic pathways, which aims to release colonoscopy capacity through a number of routes. These include:the use of FIT as a clinical triage tool in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance;the use of alternative imaging modalities such as Colon Capsule Endoscopy and Computed Tomography Colonography; andthe use of other pre diagnostic tools such as capsule sponge testing.

What measures to improve the quality of palliative and end of life care will be included in the 10 Year Health Plan.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and families receive the care they need when and where they need it, including those who need palliative and end of life care.As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, including the hospice sector.

What estimate his Department has made of changes in the number of people with palliative care needs over the next 10 years.

We are aware that the Office for National Statistics has projected that, by 2040, approximately 800,000 people a year will die in the United Kingdom. Additionally, current trends point to a growing proportion of people dying from chronic disease, particularly cancer and dementia. Taking these considerations together, it has been estimated that the number of people needing palliative and end of life care could increase by 42% by 2040.We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered, from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention and from analogue to digital. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Transformation Fund announced in the Spring Statement 2025; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using a portion of this money for the palliative and end of life care sector.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift. In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.As part of the Spring Statement, Government announced a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund to drive efficiencies across government and save money later in the Parliament, and set out how this would be allocated over the Spending Review process.The Spending Review is underway, and details will be announced on 11 June 2025.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on providing long term, sustainable funding for palliative and end of life care services.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and colleagues across the Cabinet on a whole host of issues across our brief, including palliative and end of life care services.However, as part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.Additionally, in February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed Integrated Care Board cuts on Community Diagnostic Centres.

As part of the necessary changes to support the National Health Service to recover, NHS England has indicated that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce in size. The Government is supportive of NHS England’s decision and the necessary choices that are needed to get the NHS back on its feet. We expect ICBs to continue to deliver their responsibilities, including the planning and delivery of health and care services in community diagnostic centres. Further detail on the future of ICBs was provided in a letter issued to the ICBs, NHS trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Integrated Care Board cuts on the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West ICB.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act as main strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, to achieve a 50% cost reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to the ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, and tasked ICBs with developing plans by the end of May setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities.NHS England will be working closely with the ICBs to support the development of these plans, ensuring that their implementation reduces duplication and supports patient care. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/ No specific impact assessment has been carried out with regards to the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Prime Minister in response to the Leader of the Opposition on 2 April 2025, how 1,000 new GPs were recruited.

Previously, primary care networks were limited in how they could use their funding, but now they can hire recently qualified doctors through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), a practical solution which is boosting general practitioner (GP) numbers across the country.Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS was published by NHS England on 7 April 2025. Since 1 October 2024, 1,503 GPs were recruited through the scheme.The recruitment boost, part of the Government’s Plan for Change, will help to ease pressure on GPs and cut waiting times. Alongside changes to the GP Contract for 2025/26, these additional GPs will help end the 8.00am scramble for appointments which so many patients currently endure every day.

When he plans to respond to Question 35076 tabled by the hon. Member for Wokingham on 3 March 2025.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 April 2025 to Question 35076.

If he will make it his policy to assess the potential impact of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s severity modifier on people with secondary breast cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes that its independent committees use in their evaluations, independently and in consultation with stakeholders. The severity modifier is based on evidence of societal preferences and was introduced in 2022 as part of a comprehensive review of the NICE’s methods and processes, following extensive public and stakeholder engagement.The NICE carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024, and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines compared to the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines that address a broader range of severe diseases, enabling the NICE to recommend medicines for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, childhood epilepsy, hepatitis D, and sickle cell disease. The NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future method reviews, but there is no prospect of any change until it concludes, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.

What assessment he has made on the potential impact of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s severity modifier on the approval of treatments for severe conditions.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes that its independent committees use in their evaluations, independently and in consultation with stakeholders. The severity modifier is based on evidence of societal preferences and was introduced in 2022 as part of a comprehensive review of the NICE’s methods and processes, following extensive public and stakeholder engagement.The NICE carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024, and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines compared to the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines that address a broader range of severe diseases, enabling the NICE to recommend medicines for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, childhood epilepsy, hepatitis D, and sickle cell disease. The NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future method reviews, but there is no prospect of any change until it concludes, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on funding for integrated care boards.

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, as we undertake the integration of NHS England and the Department, to ensure that the expected savings will be reinvested in frontline services to deliver better care for patients.As part of the necessary changes to support the National Health Service to recover, NHS England has also indicated that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce in size. We will work with the NHS to make the necessary choices that are needed to get the NHS back on its feet.In a letter from Sir Jim Mackey to all ICBs and NHS trusts and foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, NHS England published further detail on the future of the ICBs. This letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the requirement for opportunity cost neutrality in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence severity modifier on funding for treatments for severe conditions.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes that its independent committees use in their evaluations, independently and in consultation with stakeholders. The severity modifier is based on evidence of societal preferences and was introduced in 2022 as part of a comprehensive review of the NICE’s methods and processes, following extensive public and stakeholder engagement.The NICE carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024, and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines compared to the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines that address a broader range of severe diseases, enabling the NICE to recommend medicines for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, childhood epilepsy, hepatitis D, and sickle cell disease. The NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future method reviews, but there is no prospect of any change until it concludes, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the requirement for opportunity cost neutrality in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence severity modifier.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes that its independent committees use in their evaluations, independently and in consultation with stakeholders. The severity modifier is based on evidence of societal preferences and was introduced in 2022 as part of a comprehensive review of the NICE’s methods and processes, following extensive public and stakeholder engagement.The NICE carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024, and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines compared to the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines that address a broader range of severe diseases, enabling the NICE to recommend medicines for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, childhood epilepsy, hepatitis D, and sickle cell disease. The NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future method reviews, but there is no prospect of any change until it concludes, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.