Written questions by Shannon.

How many people have received cochlear implants aged over 18 in each of the last 3 years.

The Department does not hold data on the number of people aged under or over 18 years old who have received cochlear implants in the last three years. However, the Hospital Episode Statistics provide a count of finished consultant episodes where there was any procedure of “cochlear implant”. The following table shows the count of finished consultant episodes where there was any procedure of “cochlear implant” for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25, broken down by age group:Age group2022/232023/242024/25Zero to 17 year olds44445546918 and over767923889Unknown555Total1,2161,3831,363 This data reflects the number of procedures, as individuals may have multiple admissions for the same procedure within a given period.

How many people have received liver transplants in each of the last 3 years in each region.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the organisation responsible for organ donation in the United Kingdom, they also manage the NHS Organ Donor Register and National Transplant Register.NHSBT publishes an annual Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Activity Report which gives a comprehensive update about organ donors, transplant waiting lists, and transplant activity for the UK for the latest financial year. Section 8.4 of the report details liver transplant activity, data on transplants by country/National Health Service region of residence, in Table 8.8, and by transplant centre, in Table 8.9. NHSBT Annual Activity reports are available at the following link:https://www.odt.nhs.uk/statistics-and-reports/annual-activity-report/

How many adults have received cochlear implants in each of the last 3 years.

The Department does not hold data on the number of people aged under or over 18 years old who have received cochlear implants in the last three years. However, the Hospital Episode Statistics provide a count of finished consultant episodes where there was any procedure of “cochlear implant”. The following table shows the count of finished consultant episodes where there was any procedure of “cochlear implant” for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25, broken down by age group:Age group2022/232023/242024/25Zero to 17 year olds44445546918 and over767923889Unknown555Total1,2161,3831,363 This data reflects the number of procedures, as individuals may have multiple admissions for the same procedure within a given period.

How many people have received cochlear implants aged under 18 in each of the last 3 years.

The Department does not hold data on the number of people aged under or over 18 years old who have received cochlear implants in the last three years. However, the Hospital Episode Statistics provide a count of finished consultant episodes where there was any procedure of “cochlear implant”. The following table shows the count of finished consultant episodes where there was any procedure of “cochlear implant” for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25, broken down by age group:Age group2022/232023/242024/25Zero to 17 year olds44445546918 and over767923889Unknown555Total1,2161,3831,363 This data reflects the number of procedures, as individuals may have multiple admissions for the same procedure within a given period.

How many men between the age of 40 and 50 have been diagnosed with Prostrate cancer in England in each of the last 3 years.

Data on the number of prostate cancer diagnoses is publicly accessible, and the most recently published data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023 The three most recently published years of data are 2021, 2022, and 2023. The number of men between the ages of 40 to 49 years old diagnosed with prostate cancer in each of those years is 401, 558, and 624 respectively.

How many people have had a kidney transplant on the NHS in the last 12 months.

NHS Blood and Transplant is the organisation responsible for organ donation in the United Kingdom, and they manage the NHS Organ Donor Register and National Transplant Register.Between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, 3,381 individual patients received a kidney transplant from 3,385 donors. 2,373 were from deceased donors and 1,012 were from living donors. Of the 3,381 patients that received a kidney transplant, four received two transplants within this period.This is a United Kingdom four nation service and I am proud of its achievements.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of the health impact of the long term use of marijuana.

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, due to both the immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.Taking cannabis in any form is risky. For instance, vaping supposed tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may increase the risk of users unwittingly consuming more dangerous substances like synthetic cannabinoids. Where there are incidents of synthetic cannabinoids in THC vapes, the local authority public health team and the police force should take action with partners to warn and protect their communities. The Department is tracking reports nationally and its regional teams are providing localised warnings and support.The Department has recently launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the risks posed by new drug trends and products, including the adulteration of ‘THC’ vapes with other drugs like synthetic cannabinoids. Furthermore, statutory guidance on relationships, sex, and health education requires all primary and secondary schools to ensure that pupils know the key facts and risks associated with alcohol and drug use, as well as how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to develop lesson plans on alcohol and drugs and has commissioned an update of the resources to be published later this year.The Government will continue to work with our partners to discourage drug use and to alert people, particularly young people, to the potential dangers of cannabis. The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness, particularly for young people and parents. FRANK offers easy to read information on the risks of using cannabis and basic harm reduction advice. Information on cannabis is available at the following link:https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis(opens%20in%20a%20new%20tab)

What steps he is taking to improve diagnosis for people with chronic throat issues.

General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for patients with persistent throat symptoms. They are expected to carry out an initial assessment, rule out common causes, and identify any “red flag” symptoms that require urgent referral to specialists.We expect GPs to have regard to guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) and others when diagnosing or referring patients with persistent throat problems, as these set out evidence-based standards and best practice for assessment and referral. Relevant advice appears in guideline NG84, titled Acute sore throat antimicrobial prescribing, and guideline NG12, titled Suspected cancer referral criteria, as well as Clinical Knowledge Summaries for related conditions. NICE recommendations do not override the individual responsibility of health professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of each patient, in consultation with the patient or their carer.Healthcare professionals are expected to maintain their clinical knowledge as part of their continuing professional development. NICE guidance underpins this by providing evidence-based recommendations and structured learning resources that help them maintain up-to-date knowledge and improve the quality of patient care.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of the potential long term effects of melatonin usage.

In the United Kingdom, melatonin must be prescribed by a healthcare professional. Melatonin is authorised for a number of indications which specify short term use. For indications that may require longer term use, such as insomnia in children and adolescents aged six to 17 years old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, where sleep hygiene measures have been insufficient, there is advice to regularly review treatment, at least every six months, and that during treatment, especially if the treatment effect is uncertain, treatment should be interrupted, stopped briefly, once per year to check whether the treatment is still needed.The product information provides information to support the use of melatonin, including warnings about possible interactions with other medication as well as details of possible side effects.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the UK market, including melatonin, and will take appropriate regulatory action if new safety issues are identified.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of the long term impact of prescription painkillers.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.Medicines authorised to treat pain fall with several different classes of medicine. Prescription medicines include opioids, gabapentinoids, namely pregabalin and gabapentin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). Other classes of medicine such as anti-epileptics or antidepressants may also be used for the treatment of neuropathic pain, a type of pain evolving from nerve damage, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), with further information available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg173New medicines are also available for the treatment of migraine. The MHRA monitors the safety of all these medicines and has issued warnings and updated product and patient information on the risk of addiction to opioids, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/opioids-risk-of-dependence-and-addictionThe MHRA is currently undertaking a review to improve the information supplied with dependency-forming medicines including gabapentinoids. If additional signals of risk arise, action will be taken to protect public health.All medicines have side effects, although not everyone will experience them. The MHRA encourages anyone who suspects or experiences a side effect of their medicine to report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme.NICE also provides clinical guidance called Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: safe prescribing and withdrawal management for adults, code NG 215. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG215Additionally, NHS England has an initiative to reduce long-term opioid use, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/reducing-long-term-opioid-use/In March 2023, NHS England published Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: Framework for action for integrated care boards (ICBs) and primary care, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/optimising-personalised-care-for-adults-prescribed-medicines-associated-with-dependence-or-withdrawal-symptoms/The framework includes five actions, resources and case studies to help systems develop plans that can support people who are taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms by:- optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms;- informing ICB improvement and delivery plans, when commissioning services and developing local policies that offer alternatives to medicines in the first place and/or support patients experiencing prescribed drugs dependence or withdrawal; and- ensuring a whole system approach and pathways involving multiple interventions, to improve care for people prescribed medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms. The commissioning of services to support people to safely withdraw from prescribed medicines that may cause dependence and withdrawal lies with ICBs. NHS England expects ICBs to commission appropriate services to meet the needs of the population that the ICB geographically covers. This includes taking due regard to any national commissioning and clinical guidance.The National Health Service Business Services Authority provides data dashboards relating to painkiller prescribing, to help systems develop plans and to monitor improvement in line with the published Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: Framework for action for integrated care boards (ICBs) and primary care guidance.

What discussions he has had with his counterparts in Northern Ireland on the retention of district nurses.

Officials from the Department regularly meet with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and update on the development of the 10-Year Health Plan in England.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.NHS England is already leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of early interventions for prostate cancer.

Early cancer diagnosis remains a key priority for the Government, and we recognise the importance of implementing early interventions to provide faster diagnoses and quicker access to treatment, including for patients with prostate cancer.To help develop early interventions for prostate cancer, the Government has invested £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which aims to identify more effective approaches for detecting prostate cancer earlier. The UK National Screening Committee, which independently advises ministers, is also reviewing the evidence for both population-wide and targeted prostate cancer screening.

What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for breast cancer research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.In the period 2020/21 to 2024/25, NIHR Programme and Career Development and Capacity Awards invested approximately £28.6 million into breast cancer research awards. As well as funding cancer research, the Department also invests in centres of excellence, and services and facilities to enable the delivery of cancer research in England. This includes a contribution of £21.6 million over five years to the network of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, a United Kingdom-wide network for delivery of early phase cancer trials, and the NIHR’s five-year £29 million investment in Biomedical Research Centres, fostering collaborations between world-leading universities and National Health Service organisations, bringing together academics and clinicians to do translational research, including for all cancer types. The NIHR also works closely with industry to bring innovative research to the UK. This creates a strong portfolio of research and innovation to improve breast cancer outcomes.The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is another important example of investment. In February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used in the breast cancer screening pathway. The trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via the NIHR, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-leading-ai-trial-to-tackle-breast-cancer-launchedThe NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including breast cancer. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve diagnosis and outcomes for cancer patients in England.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of integrating psychological support into care pathways for people with rare diseases.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases and continues to make progress under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. Mental health and psychological support has featured as a focus area under England’s rare diseases action plans, the most recent of which was published in February 2025. Access to psychological support for people with rare diseases is underpinned by National Health Service service specifications. In addition, the NHS National Genomics Education Programme provides information to health care professionals, including on mental health and rare disease. This includes setting out how the mental health of rare disease patients requires assessment, and that monitoring should be an integral part of care plans, considered equally as important as physical health.More widely, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving assertive outreach, investing in mental health emergency departments and neighbourhood mental health centres, and increasing access to talking therapies and evidence-based digital interventions.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring that rare autoimmune rheumatic disease patients have named care coordinators.

We are aware there remains unmet need on coordination of care for people with rare diseases and work is underway to improve this.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for working with their local communities to understand the needs of the local populations and make decisions about how best to commission services, including for those with rare autoimmune rheumatic disease.We are improving coordination of care for all rare diseases as a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. England’s Rare Diseases Action Plans details a range of measures to improve coordination of care, including work against Action 37 on co-ordination of care for multi-system disorders. NHS England is also committed to include the definition of coordination of care in all new and revised services specifications for patients with rare diseases. The National Institute of Health and Care Research has commissioned research to provide the evidence needed to operationalise better co-ordination of care for rare diseases in the National Health Service.

How many men have been diagnosed with penile cancer by age in the last 12 months.

The latest available data that can be broken down by age reports 676 recorded cases of penile cancer in 2022. Data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2022The ‘Cancer Registration Statistics, England 2023’ indicates 634 diagnoses of penile cancer in 2023. However, age-specific data is not yet available. Data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023

Whether his Department has undertaken research into the potential impact of anti-depressants during pregnancy on unborn babies.

The Department through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has funded research into this topic. Examples of relevant research include a study exploring antidepressant use during pregnancy to assess the benefits to mothers and long-term neurodevelopmental risks to children, and a project which aimed to create a computerised decision support tool to guide discussions between doctors and pregnant women about medication risks and benefits, ensuring a balance between maternal health and foetal protection.In addition, the NIHR has supported research which investigated Neonatal Adaptation Syndrome, a cluster of symptoms like jitteriness and feeding difficulties, in babies exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors antidepressants in utero. This research aimed to understand the experiences of mothers and monitoring practices.

What estimate he has made of the number of people being treated for prostate cancer.

The latest Cancer Waiting Times data published by NHS England shows that 4,441 people started their first treatment for prostate cancer in August 2025 under the 31-day cancer waiting time standard.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of osteoporosis.

In July, we published the 10-Year Health Plan, which committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.The National Fracture Liaison Service database is a clinically-led national audit of secondary fracture prevention in England and Wales, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership and delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. It collects and publishes data on individual Fracture Liaison Services and uses internationally recognised standards as the key performance indicators that these services are measured against. The data is publicly available.Additionally, the National Health Service website, along with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Royal Osteoporosis Society, has information and resources for patients to learn about osteoporosis, including advice on how to manage osteoporosis and advice on lifestyle changes that patients can make to improve their bone health and reduce their risk of fractures. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ e-learning module on the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis also suggests resources that clinicians can use with their patients.

How many women are being treated with hormone replacement therapy.

The NHS Business Services Authority releases official statistics on patients prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The latest available data shows that there were 2.8 million female patients aged 18 years old or over who were prescribed HRT in England, that was subsequently dispensed in the community, from July 2024 to June 2025. Further information, including monthly data to June 2025, is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/hormone-replacement-therapy-england/hormone-replacement-therapy-england-april-2015-june-2025