Written questions by Vickers.

What steps his Department is taking to improve public awareness of the symptoms of endometriosis.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.We acknowledge that improving public awareness of endometriosis will reduce stigma and ensure symptoms are recognised, and we have taken action to address this.In July 2025, the Department for Education published revised Relationships Education and Sex Education and Health Education statutory guidance, which emphasise the importance of ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive understanding of women’s health topics, including endometriosis. This will help young people better understand what is normal and when to seek professional help.The women’s health area on the National Health Service website brings together over 100 different women’s health topics for the public seeking health information, including pages on periods, gynaecological conditions, and endometriosis.The NHS YouTube channel features two video series on endometriosis and heavy periods, providing more evidence-based information for women, girls, and the wider public, as well as some short videos filmed with NHS doctors.The Women’s Health Ambassador for England has also been raising awareness of women’s health since her appointment in 2022 by engaging extensively with NHS and healthcare leaders, voluntary sector organisations, patient groups, and industry to raise awareness of the women’s health strategy and build collaborative relationships.

What discussions he has had with integrated care boards on commissioning specialist dementia support services.

Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year. The Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care and redirecting National Health Service and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. In developing the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services, which may include specialist dementia support services, based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

How dementia care will be reflected in revisions to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

The Government has been clear that the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan was undeliverable and based on outdated models of care. We have committed to publishing a new 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different service areas.

What steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of achalasia among general practitioners and relevant hospital specialists.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases through the UK Rare Diseases Framework. One of the priorities of the framework is improving awareness of all rare diseases, including Achalasia, among healthcare professionals. In England, we published the fifth action plan updating on the progress of this priority of the UK Rare Diseases Framework on 27 February 2026.The NHS National Genomics Education Programme provides information to health care professionals through the online resource GeNotes. Since launching in 2022, GeNotes has expanded to 12 specialties, and more than 150 rare diseases. New diseases continue to be added.Information for families on Achalasia is available on the National Health Service website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/achalasia/

What estimate he has made of average diagnostic times for achalasia.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. As a first step to achieving this, we exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans and appointments in our first year of government, having delivered 5.2 million more appointments. We are also committed to transforming diagnostic services and are supporting the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to bring down the size of the list and reduce waiting times. We know that there is more to do and that is why we have set a national target in the Medium Term Planning Framework. For any key diagnostic test, no more than 14% of patients will wait longer than six weeks as the end of March 2027, with a target for all providers to ensure by March 2029 that 1% or less of patients wait beyond six weeks. Diagnosis of achalasia usually requires oesophageal manometry, which most large secondary care gastro/endoscopy units can provide. General monthly diagnostic data is accessible at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-data-2025-26/ There is no NHS dataset on a national level that reports waiting times specifically for oesophageal manometry, as this test is not included in NHS England’s DM01 Monthly Diagnostics Waiting Times collection. As a result, no national average or benchmark is published as waiting times can only be obtained at a local level.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Stockton West constituency compared with the national average; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a modern service framework for respiratory care.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. Data for Stockton West is shown in the table.Activity in English National Health Service Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sectorWestminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence (Office for National Statistics)2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025, provisional)Stockton West12151025England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department of Health And Social Care Fingertips website. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority and integrated care board level. Information for Stockton on Tees is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory

What discussions his Department has had with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on the potential impact of a modern service framework for respiratory conditions on the UK’s life sciences ecosystem, including the scaling up of the adoption of new medicines and innovations for lung conditions.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

What is the timeline for determining the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks, and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including respiratory conditions.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

What steps he has taken to help support the training and operation of Parkinson's specialist health workforce.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The curricula for postgraduate specialty training are 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. The Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, including specialists across the full scope of National Health Service care. It will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease, when they need it. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver that change by making sure that staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, twice-yearly meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s. The forum has identified areas for initial focus, including workforce, which featured as a key item on the agenda at the second meeting of the forum in September 2025.

What steps he is taking to retain healthcare professionals specialising in Parkinson’s disease.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The curricula for postgraduate specialty training are 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. The Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, including specialists across the full scope of National Health Service care. It will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease, when they need it. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver that change by making sure that staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, twice-yearly meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s. The forum has identified areas for initial focus, including workforce, which featured as a key item on the agenda at the second meeting of the forum in September 2025.

Whether patients removed from NHS waiting lists are informed by trusts of their removal and the reason for it.

Validation is a clinically supported process and forms a long-standing part of trusts’ routine management of their waiting lists. Effective communication between patients and their healthcare teams is a key part of the process, and patients should always be kept well-informed about their care management.As part of the administrative process for validation, trusts should contact patients after 12 weeks of waiting, providing them with the opportunity to update on their current status. This will allow patients to confirm if they have been treated elsewhere, their symptoms have resolved or they otherwise no longer require an appointment, all of which would result in them being removed from the list. If a clinical decision has been taken to discharge a patient, the patient and referrer are expected to be notified by the trust, including the reason.There is published national guidance from NHS England to support National Health Service trusts to deliver effective validation and to make best use of clinical time. NHS England also has a published national standard for outpatient clinic letters, including discharge letters, which allows clinical information to be recorded, exchanged, and accessed consistently across care settings.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to ear wax removal services in Stockton West constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning local National Health Services, including ear wax removal services, and in doing so must consider how best to improve population health and achieve best value for money.ICBs take account of relevant guidance on ear wax removal produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations

What steps his Department is taking to support Integrated Care Board’s in providing community ear wax removal services to the public.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning local National Health Services, including ear wax removal services, and in doing so must consider how best to improve population health and achieve best value for money.ICBs take account of relevant guidance on ear wax removal produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations

Whether appointments cancelled by hospitals or other NHS authorities appear in statistics as completed appointments.

Appointments cancelled by hospitals or other National Health Service authorities do not appear in statistics as completed appointments. For admitted patients, the Department does not hold data on the cause of cancellations or where patients did not attend their operation.Data on the number of last-minute cancelled operations is published by NHS England. Last minute means on the day the patient was due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of the operation or surgery. It does not include cancelled operations before the day of the operation. Data is available by year and quarter and includes the number of cancellations and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available at the following link, within the ‘Time Series’ report:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-operations/cancelled-ops-data/For outpatient appointments, data on cancellations and patients that did not attend their appointment is published by NHS England. Data is available by year and includes the number of cancellations, whether these were hospital or patient cancellations, and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available on the following link, within "Hospital Outpatient Activity, 2024-25: Report Tables":https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-outpatient-activity/2024-25

How many planned inpatient admissions expressed as a total number and as a percentage of all inpatient admissions were a) cancelled by hospitals and NHS authorities, b) cancelled by patients and c) cancelled because patients did not attend in each of the last three years.

Appointments cancelled by hospitals or other National Health Service authorities do not appear in statistics as completed appointments. For admitted patients, the Department does not hold data on the cause of cancellations or where patients did not attend their operation.Data on the number of last-minute cancelled operations is published by NHS England. Last minute means on the day the patient was due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of the operation or surgery. It does not include cancelled operations before the day of the operation. Data is available by year and quarter and includes the number of cancellations and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available at the following link, within the ‘Time Series’ report:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-operations/cancelled-ops-data/For outpatient appointments, data on cancellations and patients that did not attend their appointment is published by NHS England. Data is available by year and includes the number of cancellations, whether these were hospital or patient cancellations, and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available on the following link, within "Hospital Outpatient Activity, 2024-25: Report Tables":https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-outpatient-activity/2024-25

How many planned outpatient admissions expressed as a total number and as a percentage of all outpatient admissions were a) cancelled by hospitals and NHS authorities, b) cancelled by patients and c) cancelled because patients did not attend in each of the last three years.

Appointments cancelled by hospitals or other National Health Service authorities do not appear in statistics as completed appointments. For admitted patients, the Department does not hold data on the cause of cancellations or where patients did not attend their operation.Data on the number of last-minute cancelled operations is published by NHS England. Last minute means on the day the patient was due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of the operation or surgery. It does not include cancelled operations before the day of the operation. Data is available by year and quarter and includes the number of cancellations and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available at the following link, within the ‘Time Series’ report:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-operations/cancelled-ops-data/For outpatient appointments, data on cancellations and patients that did not attend their appointment is published by NHS England. Data is available by year and includes the number of cancellations, whether these were hospital or patient cancellations, and the percentage these represent of total elective admissions. This is available on the following link, within "Hospital Outpatient Activity, 2024-25: Report Tables":https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-outpatient-activity/2024-25

What steps he is taking to improve early detection of kidney disease in primary care, particularly for patients with known risk factors such as autoimmune conditions, diabetes and hypertension.

Data on chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence nationally and locally is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/chronic%20kidney%20disease#page/4/gid/1/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/iid/258/age/168/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1 NHS England’s Renal Clinical Network Specification states that the patient population in England with advanced kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy is growing at a rate of 3% per annum. NHS England’s Renal Clinical Network Specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PRN231110-renal-clinical-network-specification-2023-.pdfTo tackle this, NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. NHS England has published a renal services transformation toolkit to support earlier identification of CKD and to strengthen management across the whole patient pathway. Eight commissioned regional renal clinical networks are implementing this toolkit, in collaboration with providers, with a clear focus on improving early diagnosis, slowing disease progression, and reducing the number of patients reaching advanced stages of kidney disease. This work is supported nationally by the Renal Clinical Reference Group. NHS England is also supporting the Department and key kidney organisations to identify further opportunities to enhance prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long‑term outcomes for people living with kidney disease.

What recent progress he has made in improving access to kidney transplantation, including reducing waiting times and increasing rates of living and deceased organ donation.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the organisation responsible for organ donation services in the United Kingdom. Figures on the number of patients active on the kidney transplant waiting list and median waiting times are available at the following link:https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/36811/section-5-kidney-activity.pdfThe Department, along with NHSBT, continues to take action to improve access to kidney transplantation. This includes high profile, year-round campaigns including Living Donation Week, Organ Donation Week, and World Kidney Day, and partnerships with charities and community groups to promote living donation, the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme (UKLKSS) and the importance of declaring wishes on the Organ Donation Register (ODR). In addition, the Living Donor Futures programme, launching this early this year, will look at how NHSBT can support the growth of living donor programmes locally and within the UKLKSS. Further information on the UKLKSS is available at the following link: https://www.odt.nhs.uk/living-donation/uk-living-kidney-sharing-scheme/;The Department-led Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation is working to maximise the potential for organ transplantation, aiming to reduce waiting times and improve access. This includes the initiation of a national programme of Assessment and Recovery Centres (ARCs) by NHSBT, which will utilise innovation to enhance the assessment, evaluation, and utilisation of donor organs. Pilot ARCs are set to begin in early 2026. Further information on the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation is available at the following link: https://www.odt.nhs.uk/odt-structures-and-standards/clinical-leadership/implementation-steering-group-for-organ-utilisation/Additionally, the Organ Donation Joint Working Group recently published recommendations to improve organ donation consent rates, increase societal action for organ donation, and increase the pool of potential donors in their report this January. The recommendations are available at the following link:https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/38066/odjwg-report.pdf

What assessment he has made of trends in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in England over the last ten years; and what he expects the trends to be over the next decade.

Data on chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence nationally and locally is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/chronic%20kidney%20disease#page/4/gid/1/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/iid/258/age/168/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1 NHS England’s Renal Clinical Network Specification states that the patient population in England with advanced kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy is growing at a rate of 3% per annum. NHS England’s Renal Clinical Network Specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PRN231110-renal-clinical-network-specification-2023-.pdfTo tackle this, NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. NHS England has published a renal services transformation toolkit to support earlier identification of CKD and to strengthen management across the whole patient pathway. Eight commissioned regional renal clinical networks are implementing this toolkit, in collaboration with providers, with a clear focus on improving early diagnosis, slowing disease progression, and reducing the number of patients reaching advanced stages of kidney disease. This work is supported nationally by the Renal Clinical Reference Group. NHS England is also supporting the Department and key kidney organisations to identify further opportunities to enhance prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long‑term outcomes for people living with kidney disease.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of renal services, including dialysis and transplantation services, to meet current and projected patient demand.

Data on chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence nationally and locally is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/chronic%20kidney%20disease#page/4/gid/1/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/iid/258/age/168/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1 NHS England’s Renal Clinical Network Specification states that the patient population in England with advanced kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy is growing at a rate of 3% per annum. NHS England’s Renal Clinical Network Specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PRN231110-renal-clinical-network-specification-2023-.pdfTo tackle this, NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. NHS England has published a renal services transformation toolkit to support earlier identification of CKD and to strengthen management across the whole patient pathway. Eight commissioned regional renal clinical networks are implementing this toolkit, in collaboration with providers, with a clear focus on improving early diagnosis, slowing disease progression, and reducing the number of patients reaching advanced stages of kidney disease. This work is supported nationally by the Renal Clinical Reference Group. NHS England is also supporting the Department and key kidney organisations to identify further opportunities to enhance prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long‑term outcomes for people living with kidney disease.