Written questions by Shannon.

What steps his Department is taking to improve levels of (a) early and (b) accurate diagnosis for dementia; and if he will take steps to help increase the use of (i) blood tests and (ii) AI-driven assessments as diagnostic tools.

We are committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%, which in England, at the end of February 2025, was 65.4%. To support the implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, we have developed a memory service dashboard to support commissioners and providers with appropriate data on the diagnostic pathway and enable targeted support where needed.The Department delivers dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into dementia, for example investing nearly £11 million to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia.To aid dementia diagnosis and provision of support in care homes, NHS England funded an evidence-based improvement project to fund two trusts in each region (14 sites), to pilot the Diagnosing Advanced Dementia Mandate protocol. Learning is currently being shared and promoted with regional and local partners following an impact assessment of the pilots.The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme has invested £13 million into three biomarker innovation competitions, which include an AI tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia. Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the NIHR is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge, which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the National Health Service to support improved diagnosis of dementia in the future, if validated for clinical use.

How many people are on the waiting list for cancer screening across the UK.

There are no waiting lists for the three cancer screening programmes, bowel, breast or cervical, in England. Lung cancer screening, which is being rolled out nationally, does not have waiting lists either.Cancer screening is a devolved matter, and we do not hold information regarding waiting lists for Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

How many men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the last 12 months.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 March 2025 to Question 37562.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on regional inequalities for nursing placements in universities.

No discussions have taken place with the Northern Ireland Executive on the regional variation of nursing placements. Both health and education are devolved matters, with each home nation setting its own education and training policies for students residing in their respective countries.Although devolution can lead to a degree of variation in clinical placements across the four nations, it allows each to focus on their own unique set of challenges and put in place policies that best assure the financial viability and sustainability of their independent National Health Service system.

What steps he is taking to discourage the use of sunbeds.

The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 prohibits the use of sunbeds for those under 18 years old. For those over 18 years old, advice has been issued by both the National Health Service and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to increase awareness of the public health risks of excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The UKHSA’s advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sunbeds-safety-advice/sunbeds-safety-adviceThe NHS’ advice is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/

What discussions he had with his Northern Ireland counterpart on lowering the smear age for women.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had no conversations with his Northern Irish counterpart on lowering the age of cervical screening. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises the administrations of all four nations on aspects of screening, including age thresholds. However, the implementation of any UK NSC screening recommendation is a devolved matter.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of uptake of the flu vaccine in Winter 2024-25.

For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes monthly provisional data for general practice (GP) patients, school-aged children and frontline healthcare workers (HCWs), with weekly data for GP patients also available from October to January. The data is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2024-to-2025-seasonFinal end of season data is published in the annual reports in late spring. Monthly and annual data is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figuresFlu vaccine uptake in 2024 to 2025 (based on the latest provisional monthly data) and the same timepoint in the previous season, is shown in the table below:Cohort65 years and overClinical riskPregnant2-year- olds3-year- oldsPrimary school-agedSecondary school ageHCWs2024/2574.9%40.0%35.0%41.7%43.5%54.6%46.4%37.9%2023/2477.8%41.4%32.1%44.1%44.6%55.2%43.0%42.8%Caution should be used in comparing uptake between seasons. The advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is that it is preferable to vaccinate adults closer to when the flu virus is likely to circulate. Accordingly, vaccination for adults in clinical risk groups, those aged 65 years old and over, and frontline HCWs started from 3 October 2024, rather than 1 September as in previous seasons.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 28481 on Dialysis Machines: Per Capita Costs, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures by (a) in centre and (b) home therapies dialysis treatment in the last three years; what the total annual cost was to the NHS per dialysis; and what assessment he has made of how these align with NHS England guidance on Best Practice Tariffs.

This data is not available in the requested format. Best Practice Tariffs are regularly updated to ensure they incentivise National Health Service providers to move from usual care to best practice, by creating a price differential between agreed best practice and usual care.

How many people have died from sepsis in the last 12 months.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on the number of death registrations where sepsis was the underlying cause of death, and where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, in England and Wales between 2001 and 2023. According to the ONS, in 2023, the number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales was 26,203. The ONS has not yet published the number of death registrations for sepsis for 2024. ONS data for deaths involving sepsis is available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/2111deathsinvolvingsepsisenglandandwales2001to2023

What steps he is taking to increase the availability of NHS appointments.

We have already achieved our pledge to deliver two million extra elective appointments in England, as a first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to deliver more elective care in England. This includes: expecting community diagnostic centres to open 12 hours a day, seven days per week; launching and expanding 17 new surgical hubs; investing in new DEXA scanners to deliver 29,000 more scans; and streamlining patients’ care pathways and reducing unnecessary appointments.We are also committed to improving access and capacity in general practices (GPs). That’s why, in October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, benefitting thousands of patients.

What steps he is taking to improve children's facilities in hospitals.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever across the United Kingdom. This involves ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it. To make children’s services better, we are changing the National Health Service through our 10-Year Health Plan, to make it fit for the future. The plan will be published in June 2025. Health is a devolved matter, and it is the responsibility of the individual devolved administrations to commission comprehensive healthcare based on population need. Guidance has been provided to the NHS on the provision of children’s facilities in hospitals in the best practice guidance, Hospital accommodation for children and young people, which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HBN_23.pdf NHS England has work currently ongoing with the Starlight Foundation to produce recommended guidelines, standards, and checklists for designing health play services for babies, children, and young people.

If he will take steps to provide funding for all hospice care.

Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area, but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provided from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of the £100 million of capital funding, with Hospice UK kindly allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. An additional £75 million will be available from April 2025.We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, and long-term sector sustainability, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan, was discussed at length.

Whether glaucoma will be recognised in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.

As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have launched a significant public engagement process and we would encourage all those with an interest in eye care services to take part in that process, so that we can fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/Alongside the development of the 10 year plan, NHS England has been testing how integrating primary and secondary eye care services, through IT connectivity and the development of a single point of access, could improve the referral, triage, and management of patients with eye care needs, including those with suspected or diagnosed glaucoma. This approach aims to increase hospital eye service capacity and reduce avoidable blindness.

Whether (a) glaucoma and (b) irreversible blindness will be incorporated in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.

As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have launched a significant public engagement process and we would encourage all those with an interest in eye care services to take part in that process, so that we can fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/Alongside the development of the 10 year plan, NHS England has been testing how integrating primary and secondary eye care services, through IT connectivity and the development of a single point of access, could improve the referral, triage, and management of patients with eye care needs, including those with suspected or diagnosed glaucoma. This approach aims to increase hospital eye service capacity and reduce avoidable blindness.

Whether his Department's system strategy unit has plans to focus on (a) glaucoma and (b) irreversible blindness.

As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have launched a significant public engagement process and we would encourage all those with an interest in eye care services to take part in that process, so that we can fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/Alongside the development of the 10 year plan, NHS England has been testing how integrating primary and secondary eye care services, through IT connectivity and the development of a single point of access, could improve the referral, triage, and management of patients with eye care needs, including those with suspected or diagnosed glaucoma. This approach aims to increase hospital eye service capacity and reduce avoidable blindness.

Whether he has had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Social Care on the accessibility of new medicines to treat cystic fibrosis.

The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about access to various new medicines.The NICE develops its recommendations for the National Health Service in England based on the clinical and cost effectiveness of medicines independently, based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and in line with its published methods and processes.In July 2024, the NICE approved three disease modifying treatments, orkambi, symkevi, and kaftrio, as treatment options for eligible NHS patients with cystic fibrosis, under the terms of a commercial agreement reached between NHS England and the manufacturer, Vertex. These treatments are now routinely funded by the NHS in England for eligible patients.The NICE is also currently developing guidance for the NHS on whether vanzacaftor-tezacaftor-deutivacaftor can be recommended for routine funding for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The NICE is expecting to publish final guidance in August 2025.

What information his Department holds on the number of people who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the last 12 months.

The most recently published data on diagnoses of pancreatic cancer in England is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/data/data-sets/rcrdBetween November 2023 and October 2024, the most recent period available, a total of 9,396 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

What progress his Department has made on routinely publishing the genomic testing turnaround times, in the context of the targets set out in the National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway.

NHS England has specified turnaround times for genomic tests, with times varying based on the type of test and referral, ranging from a few days for urgent tests, a few weeks for single gene tests, to several months for complex tests. Genomic testing is delivered by a network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). Each GLH publishes their own turnaround time activity for genomics testing.The National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway sets out the target to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard of a maximum 28 days from referral to the communication of a cancer diagnosis, or to rule out cancer. The Department is supporting NHS England to meet this target by investing in increasing diagnostic capacity, with the capacity prioritised for cancer activity.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the NHS's genomic testing capacity for patients diagnosed with cancer.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 200 cancer clinical indications, and which sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing.In the 2019 NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England set the commitment to offer whole genome sequencing as part of routine care, including for children with cancer and for adults suffering from specific cancers. The latest data, from April 2024 to December 2024, showed cancer genomic testing activity of 129,610, which was half of all types of genomic testing in the same period.To support more extensive cancer genomic testing, NHS England is working to ensure collaboration between pathology and genomics networks to address issues, including capacity, networking, and optimisation of cancer tissue pathways.

What steps his Department is taking with devolved governments to help ensure the equal provision of NICE-approved treatments across the UK for (a) advanced and (b) complex Parkinson’s disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England. Health is a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines is a matter for the respective devolved administrations. The NICE has agreements with the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland to make its products, including guidelines, technology appraisals, and highly specialised technologies guidance, available to them, and works with organisations to help put its guidance into practice through its system implementation team.The Government has recently relaunched the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, which is a unique initiative that aims to accelerate the time to patient care for transformative new medicines and drug-device combinations, facilitating patient access by providing a single integrated platform for sustained collaborative working between the developer, the regulator, the Health Technology Assessment bodies across the United Kingdom, the NHS, and patients.