Written questions by Shannon.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the National Cancer Plan prioritises improving (a) patient experience and (b) quality of life.

The National Cancer Plan, which will be published in early 2026, will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for people with cancer. The National Cancer Plan will build on the three shifts set out by the 10-Year Health Plan. These shifts will enable rapid progress on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, as well as supporting those living with cancer to better manage their condition and improve their quality of life.The National Cancer Plan will aim to improve how the physical and psychosocial needs of people with cancer can be met, with a focus on personalised care to improve quality of life. It will address how the experience of care can be improved for those diagnosed, treated, and living with and beyond cancer.

What steps he is taking to improve mobile clinic provision in rural areas.

The integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the planning and commissioning of health services, including mobile clinic services.In doing so ICBs must take into account the needs of their local population, which includes meeting the healthcare needs of their rural populations.The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan commits to three big shifts which includes increasingly moving services away from centralised hospitals into the wider community.

How much funding his Department has allocated to blood cancers.

The Department is committed to improving cancer outcomes for patients across England, including for blood cancer.It is not possible to break down the Department’s overall spend on blood cancer in England as cancer funding is provided across a range of cancer diagnosis and treatment pathways, with national and local cancer initiatives driving improvement across many different cancer types.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), with cancer one of the largest areas of spend. The NIHR made 70 awards for research projects into blood cancer for the period April 2020 to March 2025 with a combined total funding value of approximately £18 million.

What steps he is taking to increase the availability of donor organs.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the organisation responsible for organ donation in the United Kingdom. NHSBT is working to improve the availability of donor organs by encouraging more people to record their wishes on the Organ Donor Register. Current activity includes:high profile year-round campaigns including Organ Donation Week, World Sight Day, and World Kidney Day, in partnership with a wide range of charities and community groups;year-round national and regional media and public relations, focusing particularly on the need for more black and Asian organ donors to reduce current inequities in access to transplants;national networking with trusted community organisations such as the National BAME Transplant Alliance, to support trusted leaders with expertise in organ donation to deliver culturally and religiously sensitive messaging;funding a Community Grants Programme to drive awareness of the importance and benefits of organ donation and addressing barriers to donation; andthe Organ Donation Joint Working Group, formed jointly between NHSBT and the Department, will provide recommendations to improve the organ donation consent rates, increase societal action for organ donation, and increase the pool of potential donors. This report is due to be published this autumn.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Teplizumab in slowing the development of type 1 diabetes; and when he plans to roll-out that drug on the NHS.

Teplizumab was licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in August 2025, to delay the onset of Stage 3 type 1 diabetes in adult and paediatric patients 8 years of age and older with Stage 2 type 1 diabetes. Newly licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on new medicines which represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE aims wherever possible to issue draft guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing and the NHS in England is legally required to fund NICE-recommended medicines, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.NICE is currently evaluating teplizumab and has published draft guidance for consultation in which it was unable to recommend teplizumab for delaying the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes in people 8 years and over with stage 2 type 1 diabetes. Final guidance is due to be published on 26 November 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of creatine on public health.

Scientific risk assessment of nutrition and health claim applications in Great Britain are carried out by the UK Nutrition and Health Claims Committee (UKNHCC) and based on thorough and robust evaluations.In 2024, the UKNHCC considered a health claim on creatine supplementation and improved cognitive function. The proposed conditions of use for the health claim were that creatine should be ingested in an amount of 3g per day and the target population for the health claim is the general population, healthy adults of both sexes.The UKNHCC considered evidence submitted by the applicant to substantiate the claim and published a negative scientific opinion. Based on the data presented by the applicant, the committee concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of ≤3g per day creatine and improved cognitive function.

What steps he is taking to help reduce ADHD diagnosis times.

The Government has recognised that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (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 services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June 2025, with the final report expected later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

What steps he is taking to reduce regional inequalities in access to eye care services.

Integrated care boards, as commissioners of primary and secondary eye care services, are required to work with local authorities to assess the current and future health, care, and wellbeing needs of their local populations. They will then set out, in joint local health and wellbeing strategies, how they will meet those needs, and this could include addressing any identified inequalities in accessing services. Understanding patient demographics is an essential step in identifying and tackling health inequalities. The Elective Reform Plan included a commitment to publish waiting list information broken down by demographics to allow for greater visibility of potential health inequalities. Further information on the Elective Reform Plan is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/reforming-elective-care-for-patients/ This enables local health services to understand the demographics of the patients on their waiting list to better tailor services to their needs. Data on the demographics of the elective waiting list for week ending 28 September 2025 is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/wlmds/ This data shows referral to treatment waiting times from the Waiting List Minimum Data Set for ophthalmology split by age, sex, deprivation, and ethnicity. The Public Health Outcomes Framework Eye Health Indicator also continues to track the rate of sight loss for age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. This information is available to commissioners and can be used to drive improved local outcomes and interventions.

How many active legal cases are open against the NHS.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.NHSR handles negligence claims on behalf of the members of their indemnity schemes. The indemnity schemes are divided into clinical and non-clinical negligence schemes.Clinical negligence schemes:the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) handles all clinical negligence claims against member NHS bodies where the incident in question took place on or after 1 April 1995, or when the body joined the scheme if that is later;the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) covers clinical negligence claims for incidents occurring in general practice on or after 1 April 2019;the Existing Liabilities Scheme for General Practice (ELSGP) covers historic NHS clinical negligence of staff of GP members of participating medical defence organisations occurring before 1 April 2019;The Clinical Negligence Scheme for Coronavirus (CNSC) meets clinical negligence liabilities arising from NHS services provided in response to the coronavirus pandemic where no other indemnity or insurance arrangements are in place already to cover such liabilities.DHSC Clinical (DH CL) covers clinical negligence liabilities that have transferred to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the abolition of any relevant health bodies;The Existing Liabilities Scheme (ELS) covers clinical negligence claims against NHS organisations for incidents occurring before 1 April 1995; and Non clinical negligence schemes:the Liabilities to Third Parties Scheme (LTPS) covers non-clinical claims such as public and employers’ liability;the Property Expenses Schemes (PES) covers ‘first party’ losses such as property damage and theft, for incidents on or after 1 April 1999; andDHSC Non-clinical (DH Liab) covers non-clinical negligence liabilities that have transferred to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the abolition of any relevant health bodies.NHSR has provided the attached information:Table 1: Number of Clinical and Non-Clinical Claims received between Financial Years '2006/07' and '2024/25' where the status of the claim was open as at 31/03/2025. Broken down by Scheme (as noted above).Table 2: Number of Clinical and Non-Clinical Claims and Incidents received between Financial Years '2006/07' and '2024/25' where the status was 'Open' or 'Incident' as at 31/03/2025. Broken down by Scheme (as noted above).Note: NHSR defines an ‘open’ claim as one where NHSR is yet to settle or claims that have settled but remain open, where NHSR are yet to agree costs. NHSR has not included cases which are settled but remain open due to ongoing periodical order payments.The distinction between Table 1 and Table 2 is that Table 2 includes incidents reported to NHSR that have not yet progressed to a formal notification of claim. NHSR encourages its members and beneficiaries to report such incidents directly, even prior to the receipt of a claim.

What discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on pay.

Annual pay awards for staff on Agenda for Change contracts in England, including nurses, are decided by the Government following receipt of recommendations made by the independent NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB). The Government accepted the 2025/26 recommendations in full, and in July, the Government asked the NHSPRB to begin the 2026/27 pay round. Relevant stakeholders are invited to submit evidence to the NHSPRB to inform its deliberations.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has met with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on multiple occasions since taking office, as have I, to discuss working conditions for National Health Service staff, including pay, and is always open to talking to unions about how they can work with the Government to support the NHS workforce. Officials continue to engage with the RCN on pay and contractual matters through the NHS Staff Council.

What information his Department holds on the proportion of ambulance call-outs that were related to (a) drug and (b) alcohol use in each of the last five years.

This information is not held centrally.

What information his Department holds on the number of people aged under 21 who have been diagnosed as legally deaf in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not held centrally.The Office for National Statistics collates data on deaf adults, but not on deaf children. It estimates in its 2022/23 annual population survey that 1,235,855 adults aged 16 years old and over in the United Kingdom have difficulty in hearing. These statistics are available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/ukhearingpopulationfordeafandhardofhearingstatisticsHowever, other organisations have data or estimates of the number of deaf children and young people. For example, the Consortium for Research into Deaf Education, which brings together a range of organisations with an interest in improving the educational outcomes achieved by deaf children, identified in its 2024 report that there were 54,321 deaf children reported by services across the UK, a 3% increase since 2023. The report is available at the following link:https://cms.ndcs.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-05/CRIDE%20UK%20-%202024.pdfNHS audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing people lies with local NHS commissioners. We expect local commissioning to be informed by the best available evidence, relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and guidance issued by NHS England. In 2019, NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioner and health and local authority providers who support children and young people with hearing loss. This guide is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/what-works-chswg-guide.pdf

Whether he plans to remove parental (a) income and (b) education levels as factors in cases of maternity clinical negligence.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs and how we can improve patients’ experience of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) pricing and (b) reimbursement system for multi-indication medicines does not disadvantage patients with (i) rare and (ii) ultra-rare conditions.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers my Rt Hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health gave on 1 September 2025 to Questions 69240, 69241, and 69242.

What steps he is taking to extend funding for advice and guidance services for GPs to other parts of primary care.

The Department currently has no plans to introduce funding for Advice and Guidance Enhanced Services for community pharmacy, dental practices, or opticians. Most referrals to specialist services come from general practices (GPs), who have a primary role in the management of patient health and care in the community.In 2025/26, the Government introduced the General Practice Advice and Guidance Enhanced Service, which makes provision for GPs to claim a £20 fee for each new advice and guidance request, to recognise the key role they play in delivering on the Government’s commitments to shift care from hospital to community and to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment constitutional standard by March 2029.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirement in the NHS England Commercial Framework for New Medicines for medicines to provide value at-or-below NICE’s cost-effectiveness threshold on access to treatments for (a) rare and (b) ultra-rare disease patients .

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers my Rt Hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health gave on 1 September 2025 to Questions 69240, 69241, and 69242.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of NHS England providing formal agreements in principle to pharmaceutical companies that commercial flexibility may be granted for multi-indication medicines (a) prior to and (b) pending the outcome of NICE evaluations.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers my Rt Hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health gave on 1 September 2025 to Questions 69240, 69241, and 69242.

What steps he is taking to support the (a) health and (b) wellbeing of the NHS workforce.

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health. To further support this ambition, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

If he will take steps to update dental professional healthcare regulation.

The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.As a first step, we aim to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s regulatory framework in late 2025 and to lay this legislation before Parliament in 2026. This will be followed by further legislation which will modernise the governing legislation for the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and for the Health and Care Professions Council, within the current Parliamentary session.The Department will continue to work with regulators, the devolved governments and other key partners as we develop more consistent, efficient and effective regulatory frameworks.

What recent progress he has made in addressing increasing clinical negligence costs.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last ten years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs and how we can improve patients’ experience of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area.