Written questions by Akehurst.

When people with brain cancer will have access to personalised vaccines as part of their NHS treatment.

There are currently no personalised cancer vaccines with a marketing authorisation for use in the United Kingdom. All new, licensed medicines, including personalised cancer vaccines, are evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which makes recommendations on whether they should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the point of licensing, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation, bringing forward patient access by up to five months.The measures that we announced in the Life Sciences Sector Plan will enhance NICE’s collaboration with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and will support faster access to medicines for NHS patients in England.Further, the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for cancer patients. The CVLP has been instrumental in accelerating trial activity in cancer research, with CVLP sites driving faster activation and enrolment timelines. The platform is designed to be company- and clinical trial type-agnostic. Any company that wishes to deliver trials via the platform, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

What steps he is taking to improve glioblastoma survival rates.

The Department is committed to supporting an innovative clinical research ecosystem in the United Kingdom so that patients in this country can be among the first to benefit as we make the National Health Service fit for the future.The Government supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members Bill on rare cancers which will make it easier for clinical trials into rare cancers, such as glioblastomas, to take place in England by ensuring the patient population can be easily contacted by researchers. This will ensure that the NHS will remain at the forefront of medical innovation and is able to provide patients with the newest, most effective treatment options, and ultimately boost survival rates.Early next year, the Government will publish a National Cancer Plan which will set out targeted actions to reduce the lives lost to cancers and improve the experience of patients, including rarer cancers such as glioblastomas.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) nurses and (b) other healthcare professionals exposed to hazardous medicinal products.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of (a) nurses and (b) other healthcare professionals exposed to hazardous medicinal products.Any incidents involving staff exposure to hazardous medical products are reported and handled through local National Health Service body reporting procedures. Risk assessments should be undertaken routinely and mitigations put in place to minimise any environmental exposure to health care professionals (and others) relating to “hazardous medicinal products”.

What research his Department has commissioned on (a) reproductive health outcomes and (b) long‑term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of sickness absence related to such exposure.

The Government has not commissioned any research on the reproductive health outcomes or long-term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products. No assessment has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of sickness absence related to this.Sickness absence is managed at an organisational level across the NHS. NHS organisations have their own policies and procedures in place to manage and reduce sickness absence, including any reasonable adjustments to allow people to return to work and/or prevent future absence. It is important that employers across the NHS take a preventative and proactive approach to supporting their staff and keeping them healthy.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including Primary Progressive Aphasia in the list of conditions requiring nationally commissioned services.

Primary progressive aphasia is a rare type of dementia where the recommended treatment is usually speech and language therapy, which is carried out by a speech and language therapist. NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia, and central to this is the provision of personalised care and support planning for post diagnostic support.Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014.Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. It is the responsibility of the IBC to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to improve service provision for people with (a) Tourette's syndrome and (b) other tic disorders in the North East.

The Government has pledged to reform the National Health Service so that it better meets the needs of patients. This includes the current engagement exercise, which will help to shape the 10-Year Health Plan. This will be published in spring 2025 and is expected to underline the large shifts in how healthcare is provided.The NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has begun a programme of work with our partners to consider the future efficiency requirements and potential areas of investment for the future. While a Tourette's syndrome service may be considered within this process, it is likely that we will review the alignment of specialist support within the wider children and young people's mental health service pathways, including the links with local authorities on special educational needs and disability provision.As commissioners, the ICB also undertakes an annual planning exercise to identify pathways that may require review. The pathway for the diagnosis and management of Tourette's syndrome, not only in County Durham, but across the North East and North Cumbria, will be identified through this exercise as an area for potential review in 2025/26. This will help us to understand where there are gaps in the provision of this specialist service that may potentially need to be addressed across the region. This planning exercise will require a prioritisation exercise to consider the clinical and cost benefits of a range of potential investment opportunities.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Biggest investment into hospices in a generation, dated 19 December 2024, how much of the £100 million funding will be allocated to the North East and North Cumbria integrated care board area.

We are working closely, and at pace, with NHS England on this once in a generation funding boost. We will set out the details of the funding allocation and dissemination in the coming weeks.

Whether his Department plans to introduce (a) mandatory training and (b) policies on surgical fires within all NHS hospital settings.

In 2023, the Centre for Perioperative Care published revised National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs2). The standards were designed to reduce misunderstandings or errors, and to improve team cohesion. The NatSSIPs2 include a requirement for providers to have a local fire safety policy, in order to minimise the risk of surgical fires, and a management plan in the event of one occurring.The NatSSIPs2 should form the basis of improvement work, inspections, and curricula. The standards support National Health Service organisations in providing safer care, and to reduce the number of patient safety incidents related to invasive procedures in which surgical fires can occur.At this time, the Department has no plans to make training mandatory or to introduce further policies in relation to surgical fires

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients requiring radiotherapy start their treatment with 31 days of a doctor deciding on their treatment plan.

We understand that cancer patients are waiting longer than they should for the care they need, and we are taking action to address this. The Government is committed to improving cancer care and reducing waiting times for treatment, including for radiotherapy. We will also be spending £70 million on new radiotherapy machines, to ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS long-term health plan complements the National Cancer Strategy in the context of the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of (i) radiographers and (ii) radiologists.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts in the focus of healthcare, from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.The Department will also refresh the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to fit the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, so the National Health Service has the staff it needs to treat patients on time again. NHS England continues 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.The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish 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.

If he will take steps with local partners to ensure the availability of (a) parenting and (b) other programmes to improve the mental health of (i) infants, (ii) children and (iii) young people mental health.

The Government has a bold new ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. Launched in August 2022, the three-year Family Hubs and Start for Life programme provides approximately £300 million to 75 local authorities in England with high levels of deprivation, to improve outcomes for families with babies. This includes £100 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, laying the foundations for cognitive, emotional, and physical development.Nationally, we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across children and adult mental health services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy children and young people’s mental health services.We will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school in England, so that mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life. We will also roll out open access Young Futures hubs for children and young people in every community. This national network is expected to bring local services together to deliver support for teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime or facing mental health challenges.

What assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of allegations of fraudulent claims submitted through the Pharmacy First programme.

The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set out in regulations and in the Drug Tariff. These stand until they are changed. We are looking to finalise the consultation on funding for the sector for 2024/25 with Community Pharmacy England, as a matter of urgency.Over 95% of pharmacies are signed up to deliver the Pharmacy First Service, and together they have delivered three quarters of a million consultations as of June 2024, taking pressure off general practices. The Department and NHS England are closely monitoring the service and working with Community Pharmacy England to support contractors in delivering this increased access to National Health Service care.The Department and NHS England are aware of significant outliers in claims submitted through the Pharmacy First programme. These are being investigated through the appropriate routes, as set out in the service outline, and will be handled accordingly. If the investigation leads to concerns about fraud these will be escalated appropriately. Such processes help protect the public and contractors and give us confidence as we look to develop our services in the future.

When his Department plans to publish the contract for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2024.

The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set out in regulations and in the Drug Tariff. These stand until they are changed. We are looking to finalise the consultation on funding for the sector for 2024/25 with Community Pharmacy England, as a matter of urgency.Over 95% of pharmacies are signed up to deliver the Pharmacy First Service, and together they have delivered three quarters of a million consultations as of June 2024, taking pressure off general practices. The Department and NHS England are closely monitoring the service and working with Community Pharmacy England to support contractors in delivering this increased access to National Health Service care.The Department and NHS England are aware of significant outliers in claims submitted through the Pharmacy First programme. These are being investigated through the appropriate routes, as set out in the service outline, and will be handled accordingly. If the investigation leads to concerns about fraud these will be escalated appropriately. Such processes help protect the public and contractors and give us confidence as we look to develop our services in the future.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 on the number of community pharmacies in England.

The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set out in regulations and in the Drug Tariff. These stand until they are changed. We are looking to finalise the consultation on funding for the sector for 2024/25 with Community Pharmacy England, as a matter of urgency.Over 95% of pharmacies are signed up to deliver the Pharmacy First Service, and together they have delivered three quarters of a million consultations as of June 2024, taking pressure off general practices. The Department and NHS England are closely monitoring the service and working with Community Pharmacy England to support contractors in delivering this increased access to National Health Service care.The Department and NHS England are aware of significant outliers in claims submitted through the Pharmacy First programme. These are being investigated through the appropriate routes, as set out in the service outline, and will be handled accordingly. If the investigation leads to concerns about fraud these will be escalated appropriately. Such processes help protect the public and contractors and give us confidence as we look to develop our services in the future.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) impact and (b) effectiveness of the Pharmacy First programme.

The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set out in regulations and in the Drug Tariff. These stand until they are changed. We are looking to finalise the consultation on funding for the sector for 2024/25 with Community Pharmacy England, as a matter of urgency.Over 95% of pharmacies are signed up to deliver the Pharmacy First Service, and together they have delivered three quarters of a million consultations as of June 2024, taking pressure off general practices. The Department and NHS England are closely monitoring the service and working with Community Pharmacy England to support contractors in delivering this increased access to National Health Service care.The Department and NHS England are aware of significant outliers in claims submitted through the Pharmacy First programme. These are being investigated through the appropriate routes, as set out in the service outline, and will be handled accordingly. If the investigation leads to concerns about fraud these will be escalated appropriately. Such processes help protect the public and contractors and give us confidence as we look to develop our services in the future.