Written questions by Hamilton.

If he will review financial relief for pharmacies on PFI estates, including rent-subsidy schemes and a statutory cap on PFI rents for NHS pharmacy contractors.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.

If he will consider NHS funding adjustments for pharmacies to offset increases in National Minimum Wage and employer National Insurance.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.

What steps he is taking to help support the sustainability of NHS pharmacies operating on PFI sites.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.

If he will conduct a review of local planning and healthcare infrastructure for villages and local hub–type plans, including PFI estates.

Planning regulation and approval is a matter for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The National Health Service operates in accordance with published planning guidance.However, we recognise delivering high-quality NHS healthcare services requires the right infrastructure in the right places. Integrated care boards have developed infrastructure strategies to create a long-term plan for future healthcare estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs.These strategies help take the existing and future general practice and primary care estate into account when considering how best to deliver local services, including the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of current funding on palliative care on an assisted dying service.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: impact assessment, which considers the resourcing implications of an assisted dying service on palliative and end of life care services.

What steps he is taking to ensure the sustainability of (a) funding and (b) support for dementia treatment facilities.

Presently, there are limited treatment options for people with dementia. Some drugs can modify symptoms in some cases but there are currently no disease-modifying treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use in the National Health Service, and so care is predominantly provided through social care rather than the NHS.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the NICE’s guidelines.Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population, including carers, under the Care Act 2014. The Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission forms a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change, recognising the importance of adult social care in its own right, as well as its role in supporting the NHS. As part of this work, we will consider how best to meet the needs of people, including those with dementia.The NHS is a world leader in rolling out innovative treatments, including personalised cancer and life-saving gene therapies, and has established a dedicated programme team to prepare the NHS for the potential arrival of new Alzheimer’s treatments that are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and determined to be clinically and cost-effective by the NICE.

What steps her Department is taking to support NHS patients on the waiting list with Cardiovascular Disease.

We have prioritised cutting waiting lists and getting back to the standard that at least 92% of people should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, including those with cardiovascular disease. We recently published the Elective Reform Plan that sets out how we will do this, including optimising clinically led pathways, and shifting care from hospital to community. This will start with five initial specialities, including cardiology.The Plan also outlines how there will be a reduction in the number of unnecessary cardiology diagnostics, freeing up capacity for those patients who need faster treatment. This will be done by increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations, such as palpitation, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through straight to test.Whilst we have already made progress, by delivering on our First Step commitment to provide two million extra appointments, we know there is more to do. We are also prioritising the experience of patients while they wait, as well as throughout their care journey. The Plan sets out how we will support patients with greater choice and control over their care, including options of whether they want to be seen in person or remotely, and whether they want routine follow up appointments, and a commitment to co-develop minimum standards of experience with patients, from which we can build and improve everyone’s experience of care.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle barriers to (a) teenagers and (b) young adults accessing clinical trials; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this on UK life sciences.

To maximise our potential to be a world leader and develop a more competitive, efficient and accessible clinical research system, the Department is committed to implementing recommendations from the Lord O'Shaughnessy independent review of commercial clinical trials in full.The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for teenagers and young adults. For example, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department, provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. Young adults aged 18 or over, can consent to be matched to and contacted about relevant studies.The Department through the NIHR also funds research infrastructure provides research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services, necessary for the delivery of research nationally, including studies involving teenagers and young adults.There is currently no assessment planned on the impact of barriers to teenagers and young adults accessing clinical trials on life sciences in the United Kingdom.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the unique (a) medical, (b) psychological and (c) social needs of (i) teenagers and (ii) young adults with cancer are included within the NHS Long-Term Plan.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults to improve early detection rates.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) increase the use of rapid diagnostic centres and (b) otherwise help improve early diagnosis rates for (i) teenagers and (ii) young adults with cancer.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.

What plans his Department has to ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer have consistent access to specialist psychological support; and how such plans will be implemented as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.

Whether he plans to provide additional interim healthcare services to people affected by the relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:- the UTC provider;- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and- West Midlands Police.The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the emergency relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital on patient access to urgent treatment services in Birmingham Erdington constituency.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:- the UTC provider;- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and- West Midlands Police.The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.

Whether his Department plans to to help establish alternative urgent care facilities in Birmingham Erdington constituency, in the context of the emergency relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:- the UTC provider;- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and- West Midlands Police.The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.

Whether the relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Sutton Coldfield is intended to be permanent; and what steps his Department plans to take to ensure equitable healthcare access in the long-term for residents in Birmingham Erdington constituency.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:- the UTC provider;- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and- West Midlands Police.The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to help mitigate the impact of increased travel requirements for patients following the relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:- the UTC provider;- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and- West Midlands Police.The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.

Whether any consultation took place between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and (a) local stakeholders, (b) elected officials, (c) the police and (d) community organisations prior to the decision to relocate the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:- the UTC provider;- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and- West Midlands Police.The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.

What steps his Department is taking to support (a) Birmingham Erdington constituency and (b) other areas covered by the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board to address the barriers to respiratory diagnostics identified in the report entitled Right Test Right Time, published by Asthma and Lung UK in August 2023.

In addition to the development of community diagnostic provision, on Monday 4 November the Birmingham Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) launched a system-wide campaign to encourage people to ‘breathe easy’ by getting their vaccines. Focusing primarily on flu, COVID-19, and the respiratory syncytial virus, the Breathe Easy campaign was designed to engage with people who are over 65 years old and living in the postcodes where it is known that vaccine uptake is low, as well as those who are aged six months to 64 years old and who have an increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 because of a health condition or treatment. The ICB is also urging pregnant women who are between 28 and 32 weeks of their pregnancy to ensure they are doing all they can to protect themselves and their unborn baby.Radio, bus stop, bus interior, community radio, billboard, online, and supermarket adverts are all currently live, and will run until Christmas 2024. This campaign forms part of the integrated care system’s winter communications plan, which has been developed to bring partners together across the system to help create a movement asking people to take personal responsibility, drive action, increase trust in community health services, and educate, to prevent ill-health and ultimately protect the health of yourself, others, and the local National Health Service.

Whether his Department plans to (a) include spirometry and FeNO testing in the GP contract and (b) to provide dedicated funding through a Directed Enhanced Service.

Currently there are no plans to include spirometry and FeNO testing in the GP contract. In many areas, spirometry and FeNO testing services are delivered through Local Enhanced Services (LESs), which are funded separately to global sum payments.Integrated care boards, as commissioners of primary care, are responsible for commissioning LESs which practices can opt into, which vary in scope and funding to fit the needs of local areas. In areas where spirometry and FeNO testing are not commissioned through a LES, it is the commissioner’s responsibility to ensure these services are available to patients.