Written questions by Taylor.

What steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting times at women's health hubs.

The Government is committed to encouraging integrated care boards (ICBs) to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women.Women’s health hubs have a key role in shifting care out of hospitals and reducing gynaecology waiting lists. As of December 2024, 39 out of 42 ICBs reported that they had a women’s health hub. Reporting from ICBs to NHS England shows that the pilot funding has been used to open or expand a total of 88 hubs. ICBs are responsible for commissioning services that meet the health care needs of their local population, including women's health hubs.Data on waiting times for women’s health hubs is not collected centrally.

Whether the NHS 10-year plan will incorporate the Women’s Health Strategy for England, published on 20 July 2022.

We are committed to the Women's Health Strategy, which will be taken forward as part of the 10-Year Health Plan.

With reference to the guidance entitled New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, if he will publish the multi-criteria decision support analysis for the Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton.

Details on the multi-criteria decision support analysis tool, and how it was applied during the review, can be found in the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, published on 20 January on the GOV.UK website, and available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationIntegrated care boards (ICBs) will collectively receive over £4 billion in annual capital allocations in 2025/26, which will be managed locally, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including maintenance at New Hospital Programme sites. Recently published National Health Service planning guidance sets out the NHS’s operational capital envelopes, national capital programmes, including a £750 million estates safety fund, and allocation processes for 2025/26. I would encourage the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to discuss options with the South West London ICB, to allocate operational capital and national capital programme allocations towards repairs at their sites.Final costs of schemes are subject to the approval of a Full Business Case. Cost estimates produced to enable planning during the business case development process are based on a variety of data which is generated by both the trust and the programme, and includes the capacity, design, and location of the hospital, the enabling works requirements, and the clinical requirements.

How the costs for the Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton were estimated.

Details on the multi-criteria decision support analysis tool, and how it was applied during the review, can be found in the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, published on 20 January on the GOV.UK website, and available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationIntegrated care boards (ICBs) will collectively receive over £4 billion in annual capital allocations in 2025/26, which will be managed locally, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including maintenance at New Hospital Programme sites. Recently published National Health Service planning guidance sets out the NHS’s operational capital envelopes, national capital programmes, including a £750 million estates safety fund, and allocation processes for 2025/26. I would encourage the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to discuss options with the South West London ICB, to allocate operational capital and national capital programme allocations towards repairs at their sites.Final costs of schemes are subject to the approval of a Full Business Case. Cost estimates produced to enable planning during the business case development process are based on a variety of data which is generated by both the trust and the programme, and includes the capacity, design, and location of the hospital, the enabling works requirements, and the clinical requirements.

What steps he is taking to support St Helier Hospital while awaiting the construction of the Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton.

Details on the multi-criteria decision support analysis tool, and how it was applied during the review, can be found in the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, published on 20 January on the GOV.UK website, and available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationIntegrated care boards (ICBs) will collectively receive over £4 billion in annual capital allocations in 2025/26, which will be managed locally, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including maintenance at New Hospital Programme sites. Recently published National Health Service planning guidance sets out the NHS’s operational capital envelopes, national capital programmes, including a £750 million estates safety fund, and allocation processes for 2025/26. I would encourage the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to discuss options with the South West London ICB, to allocate operational capital and national capital programme allocations towards repairs at their sites.Final costs of schemes are subject to the approval of a Full Business Case. Cost estimates produced to enable planning during the business case development process are based on a variety of data which is generated by both the trust and the programme, and includes the capacity, design, and location of the hospital, the enabling works requirements, and the clinical requirements.

What steps the NHS is taking to improve training for doctors on (a) understanding and (b) treating chronic urinary tract infections.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC sets the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level. The curricula for postgraduate training is set by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for foundation training, and by individual Royal Colleges and faculties for specialty training. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Curricula across the specialties where doctors in training might regularly treat patients with urinary tract infections will contain competencies relating to understanding, identifying and treating urinary tract infections and the associated symptoms. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Evidenced-based interventions (EBI) programme includes guidance on chronic UTIs, with more information available at the following link: https://ebi.aomrc.org.uk/interventions/investigation-and-onward-referral-of-women-with-recurrent-uti/ In September 2024, the EBI programme was adopted as standard operating procedure by the National Health Service. The Royal College of General Practitioners also provide e-learning on UTIs, with more information available at the following link: https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=12652

What steps the NHS is taking to improve the accuracy of tests used by GPs to diagnose chronic urinary tract infections.

Diagnostic tests for chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as urinalysis and urine culture, are widely available across all pathology networks in England. Ensuring accurate diagnostic testing not only aids more effective identification of infection but can also reduce unnecessary prescribing and overprescribing of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and directly benefit patients who get the right treatment sooner. General practitioners can request testing for chronic UTIs via several pathways, including at point-of-care, via community diagnostic centres, or via laboratories. Laboratories across England adhere to stringent quality standards for diagnostic tests, including the UK Accreditation Standard ISO 15189, and implement robust internal and external quality assurance schemes. Together, these measures ensure the accuracy and reliability of diagnostic testing. The development of new products to diagnose infections more accurately is essential to ensure we can continue to treat infections and protect public health. NHS England is also supporting research into newer, more accurate point-of-care tests for UTIs, such as via the Toucan study. More information on the study is available at the following link: https://www.phctrials.ox.ac.uk/recruiting-trials/toucan-platform-for-uti-diagnostic-evaluation

What steps the NHS is taking to provide better pain relief for people suffering from chronic urinary tract infections.

Treating clinicians use National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, which helps practitioners and commissioners get the best care to patients, when assessing, signposting to, and prescribing pain relief medications. It is a prescriber’s duty when providing clinical care for conditions, such as urinary tract infections, to prescribe medicines, including pain relief, when they have adequate knowledge of the patient’s health and are satisfied that the medicine is clinically suitable for the patient.

What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services for young people in London.

Too many young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, including in London and we know that waits for mental health services are too long. As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures Hubs in every community.There are currently approximately 65 locally-funded early support hubs in England offering early easy access mental health interventions to thousands of children and young people aged between 11 and 25 years old including those from low-income families.The Department is running an £8 million Shared Outcomes Fund project throughout 2024/25 to boost and evaluate the impact of 24 of these existing early support hubs, including two in London.

If he will take steps to increase diagnosis levels for genetic haemochromatosis.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) and delivered by seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs. Genomic testing for genetic haemochromatosis is available through the NHS GMS for all ...

What steps he is taking to ensure UK blood cancer patients can access effective new therapies that are available to patients overseas but have been subject to NICE terminated appraisals.

Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following an evaluation of a treatment’s co...

Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of non-specific symptom pathways in diagnosing blood cancers in each of the last three years.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent ...

What steps he is taking to help reduce the number of cases of late diagnoses of blood cancers in emergency NHS settings.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancer, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.The Department is committing to this by improving waiting ...

Whether he plans to publish a 2024 progress report for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the programme continues to support (a) (i) perinatal

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. The joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Educ...

What information his Department holds on the average change in (a) stroke and (b) heart attack ambulance waiting times as a result of the London drop and go ambulance policy.

The Department does not hold the information requested. Category 2 ambulance calls are emergency responses, which can include serious time-sensitive incidents such as strokes and heart attacks. The following table shows the national and London Ambulance S...

Whether he plans to review the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's decision not to recommend Ruxolitinib for use within NHS England for the treatment of vitiligo.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance for the National Health Service on whether ruxolitinib should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of its costs and benefits.The NICE was unfor...

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations made in the UK Blood Cancer Action Plan, published by Blood Cancer UK on 4 September 2024.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Liverpool Walton to question 4539 on 19 September 2024.

What steps he is taking to increase access to medicines for patients receiving (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) can commission out-of-hours dispensing locally if there is a need for patients to access medicines outside of the core pharmacy hours, including as part of any palliative and end of life arrangements that the ICB is req...

If he will make palliative care training mandatory for health and social care workers.

The training of health care professionals is the responsibility of independent statutory health care regulatory bodies such as the General Medical Council (GMC), the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the Health and Care Professions Council. The training ...

If he will publish independently-verified projections of future demand for the palliative and end of life care workforce at least every two years; and if he will take steps to ensure a properly res

At this time, there are no plans to publish independently verified projections of future demand for the palliative and end of life care workforce. We will want to assure ourselves, and the National Health Service, that the current plan will deliver the re...