Written questions by Jones.

How many (a) newly-qualified GPs have been employed and (b) primary care networks have claimed reimbursement under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme GP Sum in each integrated care board since August 2024.

Data on the number of general practitioners employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is currently not available.

When she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wokingham on the British Psychological Society campaign for reform of the SEND system, dated 10 October 2024.

I can confirm that a response to the correspondence dated 10 October 2024 from the hon. Member for Wokingham was sent on 15 October 2024.

When the Chief Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wokingham on Orchestral Tax Relief, dated 24 September 2024.

A response to this correspondence has been sent to the hon. Member for Wokingham.

When she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wokingham on Food Banks and Universal Credit, dated 4 October 2024.

HM Treasury officials reviewed the correspondence and feel that it would be more appropriate for a response to be provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Colleagues from DWP have confirmed acceptance of this case and the hon. Member for Wokingham will receive a response from them in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2024 to Question 13928 on Cancer: Health Services and with reference to the Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, CP 1210, published on 5 December 2024, whether it remains his policy to meet all NHS cancer waiting time targets within five years.

The Government recognises the importance of, and remains committed to meeting, all three National Health Service cancer waiting time standards across England. These are the 28-day faster diagnosis standard, the 31-day decision to treat to treatment standard, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard. Lord Darzi’s report has laid bare the true extent of the challenges facing our health service, which is why we have launched our 10 Year Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including improving performance against the cancer waiting time standards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12587 on Breast Cancer: Nurses, whether his Department's plans to train clinical cancer staff will be included in the (a) forthcoming NHS ten-year plan and (b) national cancer plan.

The Government has set out plans to publish a ten-year plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will be informed by Lord Darzi’s report and will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Including for breast cancer.In addition, following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will develop a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients. We will continue to ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it and the cancer plan will reflect this.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 on this in due course.

What steps he is taking to ensure that young people with cancer have equity of access to age-appropriate, specialist psychological support in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board area.

The Department is dedicated to ensuring all children and young people with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment.NHS England has published service specifications that set out the service standards required of all providers of children and young people cancer services, including those in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (ICB) area. The requirements include ensuring that every patient has access to specialist care and reducing physical, emotional and psychological morbidity arising from treatment for childhood cancer. More information on the specifications is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/Children and young people’s cancer care is managed by principal treatment centres (PTCs) who ensure quality care. Within the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West ICB area, this would be Oxford Children’s Hospital as part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Each PTC has a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patient. The multi-disciplinary team ensures that each service user is assessed for psychological needs and can access any psychosocial support that is required.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2024 to Question 12590 on Breast Cancer: Genetics, what steps his Department is taking to reduce regional inequities in access to genetic counselling.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, such as genetic counsellors, as well as the technology and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of cancer in teenagers and young adults in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board area.

We are committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive, including children, teenagers, and young adults.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has set out detailed guidance for general practices on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending referral within 48 hours for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms, ensuring that children and young people are being diagnosed faster.The Department is also taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups in England, by delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the NHS will maximise the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres. They will also increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

What progress his Department has made on (a) improving the process for clinical trials and (b) ensuring that those trials are more accessible for teenagers and young adults.

In order to maximise our potential to be a world leader and develop a more competitive, efficient, and accessible clinical research system, the Department is committed to implementing recommendations from Lord O'Shaughnessy’s independent review of commercial clinical trials in full.Significant progress has already been made to reform the clinical research system. The Department has streamlined the costing and contracting activities for commercial sponsors by introducing the National Contract Value Review as a standardised system-wide process, supported by the Department’s research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As reported in October 2024, the proportion of NIHR portfolio studies delivering to time and target is currently greater than 80%, and overall recruitment, including recruitment into commercial contract studies on the NIHR Portfolio, continues to exceed pre-COVID-19 levels.The Department is committed to ensuring that clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for teenagers and young adults. For example, the NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research which promotes participation in health and care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Education in response to the question from the hon. Member for Wokingham of Tuesday 3 December, Official Report, column 96WH, if she will write to provide further information.

I am happy to write to the hon. Member for Wokingham and Wokingham Borough Council to provide an update on these schools.The government is clear it wants to make sure all children with special educational needs and disabilities receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. That is why the government set out a clear ambition to improve inclusivity in mainstream schools, while ensuring that special schools cater for children and young people with the most complex needs.

What plans his Department has to invest in the recruitment and retention of radiologists in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.

Information on local plans is not collected centrally by the Department. National Health Service organisations are responsible for their own recruitment, and for developing their own workforce plans based on service needs.At a national level, we are committed to training the staff the NHS needs, and we will work closely with partners in education to do this. NHS England continue to lead on a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and ensure the NHS remains an attractive career choice for new recruits.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the capacity of colonoscopy services; and whether his Department plans to increase the capacity of these services ahead of the extension of the bowel cancer screening programme to people aged 50 and above by April 2025.

NHS England is responsible for delivering the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme and planning for the age extension in the programme from 60 years old down to 50 years old.The age extension for bowel screening started in April 2021 with the 56-year-old cohort and, based on modelling and clinical advice, has been planned to gradually reduce to age 50 years old by 2025. This has been done to ensure that screening centres could manage any required increase in colonoscopy capacity.

What steps his Department is taking to include policies on (a) diagnosis, (b) care and treatment and (c) research into brain tumours in the (i) NHS 10-year plan and (ii) cancer strategy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon and Buchan on 28 November 2024 to Question 15703.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) increase the capacity of colonoscopy services and (b) ensure patients from the bowel cancer screening programme are seen within the targeted waiting times.

The National Health Service is taking steps to improve bowel cancer outcomes for patients across England. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all NHS cancer waiting time targets, so no patient, including those referred through the bowel cancer screening programme, waits longer than they should.We are transforming diagnostic services, which will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. A national transformation project has been established to enable and support the timely recovery of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services. Endoscopy services have also been established in several Community Diagnostic Centres throughout the country, which also contributes to the timely recovery of GI endoscopy services.Furthermore, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines encourage general practitioners to use Faecal Immunochemical Test kits for symptomatic patients to rule out the need for a colonoscopy, which increases the capacity of available colonoscopists for the bowel screening program.

What steps his Department plans to take to help improve awareness of (a) Crohn’s disease, (b) ulcerative colitis and (c) inflammatory bowel disease.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses. The National institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also produced a range of guidance on IBD, Crohn’s disease, and colitis, to support early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions. It ensures that the care provided to people with IBD is based on the best available evidence. In the last two years, the NICE has recommended four new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Mirikizumab, and Etrasimod.NHS England’s National Bladder and Bowel Health Project is delivering better care for people with IBD, with a focus on developing clinical pathways. NHS England commissions specialised colorectal services nationally to support equity of access to high-quality treatment for patients with IBD requiring complex surgery. This work is supported within NHS England by the clinical leadership of the Specialised Colorectal Services Clinical Reference Group, which is made up of experts in surgery, medicine, radiology, pathology, and nursing, alongside patient and public voice representatives. To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for autism assessments in (a) Wokingham and (b) Berkshire.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire ICB advises that it has implemented a new assessment model within its neurodevelopmental conditions service, to enable the team to carry out additional assessments. The ICB further advises that it commissions Living Well from Autism Berkshire to provide needs-led community support, which is available for people of all ages waiting for an autism diagnosis, or who have suspected autism. The ICB is also working with the three Berkshire West local authorities, including Wokingham, as well as Children’s Services and Education to introduce a needs-led approach to autism, to ensure that children have their needs met sooner, before diagnosis.

What estimate his Department has made of the colonoscopy capacity required to implement the UK National Screening Committee's recommendations for bowel cancer that everyone aged 50-74 be offered Faecal Immunochemical Test screening every two years at a sensitivity level of 20μg/g.

NHS England is responsible for delivering the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening (NHS BCSP) programme, including planning for the age extension in the programme from 60 down to 50 years old, and reducing the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) down from 120 micrograms per gram.The age extension for bowel screening started in April 2021 with the 56-year-old cohort and, based on modelling and clinical advice, has been planned to gradually reduce to 50 years old by 2025. This has been done to ensure that screening centres can manage any required increase in colonoscopy capacity.NHS England has advised that planning is well underway to lower the threshold of the FIT from 120 micrograms per gram to 80 micrograms per gram in the NHS BCSP in England. Further updates on how this will be implemented are expected early in the new year.

If he will make an estimate of average waiting times for (a) assessment and (b) diagnosis of autism in (i) adults and (ii) children in (A) Wokingham, (B) Berkshire, and (C) England.

The information requested is not held centrally, but may be held by individual providers or integrated care boards (ICBs). Some relevant information is available on autism assessment waiting times for England, and for the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB.In England in September 2024, the Autism Waiting Time Statistics show that there was a total of 204,876 patients with an open suspected autism referral. 126,318 of these patients were aged zero to 17 years old, and 78,638 of these patients were aged 18 years old and over. The median waiting time of all patients across England with an open suspected autism referral, where their first care contact was in the quarter, was 360 days for zero- to 17-year-olds, and 244 days for over 18-year-olds.In the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB in September 2024, the Autism Waiting Time Statistics show that there was a total of 8,825 patients with an open suspected autism referral. 7,120 of these patients were aged zero- to 17-years-old, and 1,710 of these patients were aged 18-years-old and over. The median waiting time of all patients in this ICB with an open suspected autism referral, where their first care contact was in the quarter, was 783 days for zero- to 17-year-olds, and 209 days for over 18-year-olds.Since each metric is rounded to the nearest five in the published data, the number of adults and children do not add up to the total number of patients. Data on children and young people in this dataset is expected to be an underestimate, and caution should be used when interpreting these statistics since they are experimental rather than official statistics. The majority of children assessed for autism in the United Kingdom are seen in child development services, which are out of the scope of this dataset. This means the published figures will underestimate the volume of referrals or diagnoses, and the associated impact on health services. NHS England continues to conduct exploratory analysis into the Community Services Dataset with a view to including autism waiting times data from that dataset.

Whether his Department plans to reduce the sensitivity threshold of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120μg/g closer to the UK National Screening Committee recommendation of 20μg/g.

NHS England is responsible for delivering the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening (NHS BCSP) programme, including planning for the age extension in the programme from 60 down to 50 years old, and reducing the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) down from 120 micrograms per gram.The age extension for bowel screening started in April 2021 with the 56-year-old cohort and, based on modelling and clinical advice, has been planned to gradually reduce to 50 years old by 2025. This has been done to ensure that screening centres can manage any required increase in colonoscopy capacity.NHS England has advised that planning is well underway to lower the threshold of the FIT from 120 micrograms per gram to 80 micrograms per gram in the NHS BCSP in England. Further updates on how this will be implemented are expected early in the new year.