Written questions by Vickers.

Whether his Department is taking steps with patient organisations to understand barriers to blood cancer care in local communities.

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year. The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including blood cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart, and the Department has been working closely with patient organisations and other cancer partners as part of our engagement to inform the development of the plan. This includes patient and family engagement events with partners such as Macmillan and Maggies, and engagement with blood cancer charities and the NHS Patient and Public Voice Forum.Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes. To tackle the late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways. We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating them faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. Furthermore, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to putting digital health at the heart of the future health service, and integrating that with a single patient record and neighbourhood health services, will mean that cancer patients will get the joined-up care they deserve.The National Cancer Plan will also seek to ensure that high-quality care is available to patients across the country, including patients in rural areas. This will build on the current national cancer audits, which are seeking to promote best practice and aim to reduce inequalities in the access to, or the quality of, treatment. Further details on the steps that will be taken to achieve this will be set out in the plan. Service providers are responsible for making clinical decisions about prioritisation in response to capacity constraints, taking into consideration national guidance, and access and waiting time standards, so that patients are prioritised.Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potential treatment for a range of malignant and non-malignant indications, including myeloma. HSCT is a specialised service and is the commissioning responsibility of integrated care boards.NHS England is the accountable commissioner for HSCT and has published a national service specification that all commissioned HSCT services need to meet. The list of commissioned indications is covered by the NHS England Clinical Commissioning Policy available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Haematopoietic-Stem-Cell-Transplantation-HSCT-All-Ages.pdfThere are currently no plans to expand the number of specialised centres that deliver HSCT treatments.Blood cancer in and of itself is not a disease that is specialised, however, some of the treatments used to manage blood cancers are within specialised services, such as HSCT. NHS England publishes national service specifications for specialised services and monitors the quality-of-service provision and patient outcomes via the NHS England quality dashboards, and in the case of HSCT, by also reviewing the service-level reports published by the British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. The findings of the reviews of these reports are discussed with NHS England regional teams who determine any appropriate action that needs to be taken with the providers within their region.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that every NHS Trust in England commissions a Fracture Liaison Service.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the absence of universal access to fracture liason services on the number of preventable deaths from hip fractures each year.

The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of Fracture Liaison Services on preventable deaths from hip fractures.

What steps the NHS is taking to improve access to clinical trials for people with rare blood cancers.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients in the National Health Service, including those with rare blood cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.The Department-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure, which supports NHS patients, the public, and NHS organisations across England, to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trials into rare blood cancers. NIHR infrastructure schemes aim to build research capacity and capability across all geographies, settings, and disease areas within the NHS.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve access to clinical trials in the NHS for cancer patients across the country, including patients with rare cancers.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research', which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them, including research into blood cancer.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to recruit into nursing roles on elective care backlogs.

The Department has not made an assessment and has no plans to make an assessment on the impact of regional variations in staff vacancy rates, the time taken to recruit into nursing roles, or the use of agency and bank staff, on elective waiting list lengths.NHS England published its planning guidance for 2025/26 in January 2025. This guidance sets out clear priorities for the National Health Service including delivery of the interim electives ambition of meeting nationally 65% of patients being seen within 18 weeks, along with a minimum 5% improvement, that was set out in the Elective Reform Plan.It is for trusts and integrated care boards to manage staffing of all professions, including through use of agency and bank staff, to deliver on these priorities within their agreed financial allocations.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of regional variations in staff vacancy rates on waiting list lengths in NHS trusts.

The Department has not made an assessment and has no plans to make an assessment on the impact of regional variations in staff vacancy rates, the time taken to recruit into nursing roles, or the use of agency and bank staff, on elective waiting list lengths.NHS England published its planning guidance for 2025/26 in January 2025. This guidance sets out clear priorities for the National Health Service including delivery of the interim electives ambition of meeting nationally 65% of patients being seen within 18 weeks, along with a minimum 5% improvement, that was set out in the Elective Reform Plan.It is for trusts and integrated care boards to manage staffing of all professions, including through use of agency and bank staff, to deliver on these priorities within their agreed financial allocations.

Whether he is taking steps to make workforce data transparent at (a) trust and (b) ICB level.

There are a range of data sources published by NHS England relating to staff employed by National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards (ICB) in England, including monthly data on NHS workforce statistics, including information on the current staff in post as well as turnover. This information is provided at a trust level and ICB level as well as at a national level, and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics There is also monthly data on sickness absence rates for staff working in the NHS. As well as containing data on national sickness absence rates across staff groups, this data is also available at an ICB and trust level at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-rates There is also quarterly data on vacancy rates in NHS trusts at a regional level, available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-vacancies-survey The above is also, on an ad hoc basis, published at trust level, such as in the supplementary release available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/supplementary-information/2024/total-vacancy-rates-by-org-since-201718 Additionally, the results of the annual NHS Staff Survey are also available at trust level at the following link:https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/results/national-results/ The Department and NHS England continue to review and develop available data sources on the NHS workforce at a local level.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the use of (a) agency and (b) locum staff on reducing waiting lists.

The Department has not made an assessment and has no plans to make an assessment on the impact of regional variations in staff vacancy rates, the time taken to recruit into nursing roles, or the use of agency and bank staff, on elective waiting list lengths.NHS England published its planning guidance for 2025/26 in January 2025. This guidance sets out clear priorities for the National Health Service including delivery of the interim electives ambition of meeting nationally 65% of patients being seen within 18 weeks, along with a minimum 5% improvement, that was set out in the Elective Reform Plan.It is for trusts and integrated care boards to manage staffing of all professions, including through use of agency and bank staff, to deliver on these priorities within their agreed financial allocations.

Whether his Department is monitoring the number of administrative staff working in NHS back office functions; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in those staff on (a) front-line staffing and (b) waiting lists.

The Department monitors monthly Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England which are published by NHS England. These cover staff employed by hospital trusts and integrated care boards. The published statistics include data for the National Health Service infrastructure workforce, which includes NHS managers, staff working in central functions, such as human resources and finance, and staff working in property and estates roles. These are available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics No specific central assessment of the impact of changes in the levels of NHS infrastructure roles has been undertaken by the Department but local bodies were tasked through the 2025-26 NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance to review and monitor expenditure on non-frontline staff in order to prioritise frontline care. This guidance also reiterates the ambition of meeting nationally the target of 65% of patients being seen within 18 weeks, along with a minimum 5% improvement, that was set out in the Elective Reform Plan.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of fast-tracking accreditation for internationally-trained healthcare professionals to help increase local staffing levels.

Healthcare professional regulators are the independent bodies responsible for safeguarding patient and public safety by ensuring that only those meeting the necessary standards can be added to their registers and work in the United Kingdom, whether qualified in the UK or overseas.As healthcare regulators are independent of Government, it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds for registration. Some regulators already provide supported pathways for different groups of overseas qualified professionals, for example, refugees.Current arrangements under provisions in the EU Exit Regulations, known as the ‘standstill’ provisions, ensure that UK regulators continue to automatically recognise relevant European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss healthcare qualifications as they did before the UK left the EU. This enables applicants holding these qualifications to achieve UK registration more quickly.While achieving UK registration as an international healthcare professional should be as efficient and fast as possible, it is important that it remains a robust safeguard for patient protection.In addition, the Government is committed to developing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our National Health Service. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, enhancing conditions for all staff, while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to urgent care services in areas where there is no A&E department within 10 miles.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local communities, as they are best placed to take those decisions.The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26 sets out the planned action to be taken to improve services this year. Backed by almost £450 million, it will expand urgent and emergency care facilities to provide faster care for patients, including those services outside of acute hospitals.The 10-Year Health Plan focuses on shifting urgent care into the community through new Neighbourhood Health Services. This will improve the experience and care that people receive, rather than having to go to hospital unnecessarily, while more timely access to primary care and better proactive care for long term conditions will reduce demand into urgent and emergency care.

What steps he is taking to improve access to prostate cancer screening services.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not have a national screening programme.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, to cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It includes different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.The modelling and evidence review is now complete, and it is being considered by the UK NSC and experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.NHS England is engaged in initial discussions regarding prostate cancer screening costs and feasibility, and as any recommendations from the UK NSC evidence review take shape, these discussions will continue.Ministers are cognisant of the fact that a clearly defined and quality assured screening programme, whether population wide or to specific targeted high-risk groups, would avoid some of the health inequities associated with more ad hoc testing currently being carried out via general practitioners and other organisations.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on the feasibility of rolling out a national prostate cancer screening initiative.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not have a national screening programme.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, to cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It includes different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.The modelling and evidence review is now complete, and it is being considered by the UK NSC and experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.NHS England is engaged in initial discussions regarding prostate cancer screening costs and feasibility, and as any recommendations from the UK NSC evidence review take shape, these discussions will continue.Ministers are cognisant of the fact that a clearly defined and quality assured screening programme, whether population wide or to specific targeted high-risk groups, would avoid some of the health inequities associated with more ad hoc testing currently being carried out via general practitioners and other organisations.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a universal prostate cancer screening programme.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not have a national screening programme.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, to cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It includes different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.The modelling and evidence review is now complete, and it is being considered by the UK NSC and experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.NHS England is engaged in initial discussions regarding prostate cancer screening costs and feasibility, and as any recommendations from the UK NSC evidence review take shape, these discussions will continue.Ministers are cognisant of the fact that a clearly defined and quality assured screening programme, whether population wide or to specific targeted high-risk groups, would avoid some of the health inequities associated with more ad hoc testing currently being carried out via general practitioners and other organisations.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a universal screening programme for prostate cancer on long-term NHS costs.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not have a national screening programme.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, to cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It includes different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.The modelling and evidence review is now complete, and it is being considered by the UK NSC and experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.NHS England is engaged in initial discussions regarding prostate cancer screening costs and feasibility, and as any recommendations from the UK NSC evidence review take shape, these discussions will continue.Ministers are cognisant of the fact that a clearly defined and quality assured screening programme, whether population wide or to specific targeted high-risk groups, would avoid some of the health inequities associated with more ad hoc testing currently being carried out via general practitioners and other organisations.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of disparities in access to prostate cancer testing among different socioeconomic groups.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not have a national screening programme.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, to cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It includes different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.The modelling and evidence review is now complete, and it is being considered by the UK NSC and experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.NHS England is engaged in initial discussions regarding prostate cancer screening costs and feasibility, and as any recommendations from the UK NSC evidence review take shape, these discussions will continue.Ministers are cognisant of the fact that a clearly defined and quality assured screening programme, whether population wide or to specific targeted high-risk groups, would avoid some of the health inequities associated with more ad hoc testing currently being carried out via general practitioners and other organisations.

Whether he plans to ensure that men in areas with higher incidence rates of prostate cancer have targeted access to early screening.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not have a national screening programme.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, to cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It includes different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.The modelling and evidence review is now complete, and it is being considered by the UK NSC and experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.NHS England is engaged in initial discussions regarding prostate cancer screening costs and feasibility, and as any recommendations from the UK NSC evidence review take shape, these discussions will continue.Ministers are cognisant of the fact that a clearly defined and quality assured screening programme, whether population wide or to specific targeted high-risk groups, would avoid some of the health inequities associated with more ad hoc testing currently being carried out via general practitioners and other organisations.

What steps he is taking to (a) raise awareness of prostate cancer symptoms and (b) encourage men to come forward for testing.

The Department remains committed to raising awareness of all cancer types, including prostate cancer, and recognises that there is more to be done to encourage men at increased risk to come forward for testing.The National Health Service, and several other local and national organisations, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This information can be found on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms/Men with symptoms, those over the age of 50 years old, those from a black ethnic background, or those with a family history of prostate cancer, who are worried about their risk of prostate cancer, are urged to see a general practitioner.In January 2025, NHS England re-launched its Abdominal and urological symptoms of cancer phase of the Help Us Help You public awareness campaigns. These public campaigns aim to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner.In addition, NHS England has delivered a full roll out of non-specific symptom pathways, designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer. Non-specific symptom pathways introduce a route to possible diagnosis for patients who display symptoms that could indicate cancer, but which do not align to specific cancers.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional variation in patient access to motor neurone disease clinical trials; and what steps he is taking to ensure equitable access across all NHS regions.

The Department is committed to ensuring equitable access to health and care research, including motor neurone disease (MND) studies, across all National Health Service regions. National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure has national coverage, but we recognise that trials in some disease areas can be concentrated in specialist centres, which can result in regional variation in patient access.Through investment in world-class expertise, specialist facilities, a dedicated research delivery workforce, and coordinated support services, the NIHR enables research to be set up and delivered effectively across the NHS and wider health and care system.Measures to ensure equitable access include supporting travel and accommodation costs through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, study-level travel reimbursement, and practical assistance from NIHR Clinical Research Facilities and the Research Delivery Network.In line with the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, there is a growing emphasis on delivering research in community and home settings, supported by digital tools and mobile research teams. This approach reduces the need for hospital visits and ensures that patients with MND can participate in research regardless of their location. This work is complemented by wider Government investment, such as the £6 million MND Translational Accelerator and the £8 million EXPERTS-ALS programme, which are designed to connect research centres nationally and broaden opportunities for patients across regions.

What plans his Department has to support MND Care Centres to participate in (a) research studies and (b) MND-SMART.

The Department is committed to funding health and care research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) across England, to ensure that the research we support is inclusive and representative of the populations we serve. Government responsibility for motor neurone disease (MND) research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the NIHR, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered by UK Research and Innovation.NIHR infrastructure has national coverage and is designed to build research capacity and capability across all settings, including MND care centres, to support participation in all eligible research studies. These mechanisms are well placed to support care centres’ participation in studies such as MND-SMART, ensuring centres have the guidance and practical support needed to take part in this trial.This sits alongside wider Government investment to accelerate MND research. Examples include £12.5 million to support discovery science at the UK Dementia Research Institute, £6 million for the MND Translational Accelerator, and £8 million for the EXPERTS-ALS drug screening programme, which complements the charity-funded MND-SMART trial.