Written questions by Holden.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making (a) rozanolixizumab, (b) zilucoplan and (c) efgartigimod available to NHS patients with myasthenia gravis (MG); and what (i) representations his Department has received from and (ii) meetings his Department has had with MG patients on that matter.

The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE is currently evaluating rozanolixizumab, zilucoplan, and efgartigimod within their licensed indications for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, and has not yet published final guidance.The Department has received correspondence letters from constituents via their Member of Parliament regarding myasthenia gravis and the treatment for this condition, but there have not been any recent meetings between Ministers and patients with this condition.

What steps he is taking to help improve waiting times for radiotherapy treatment.

The Department does not hold data on how many and what proportion of radiotherapy machines are beyond their recommended working life in each integrated care board and hospital. From April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines sits with local systems.Cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waits.

How many and what proportion of radiotherapy machines are beyond their recommended working life in each (a) integrated care board and (b) hospital.

The Department does not hold data on how many and what proportion of radiotherapy machines are beyond their recommended working life in each integrated care board and hospital. From April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines sits with local systems.Cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waits.

Whether pay rises for (a) doctors and (b) other NHS staff will be met from existing NHS budgets.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement on 29 July 2024 sets out the position across the Government, which includes departments making savings to pay towards the outcomes of the pay review bodies. The process for agreeing savings is not yet complete, however the intention is for the Department of Health and Social Care and HM Treasury to meet the pay review bodies’ recommendations for doctors and other National Health Service staff in 2024/25, and to resolve any funding needs in the usual way.