Written questions by Allin-Khan.

What steps he is taking to increase the proportion of UK medical graduates in NHS speciality training places.

Working with NHS England we continue to keep the selection process for all applicants to medical speciality training under review. We are committed to ensuring that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) develop and (b) improve Fracture Liaison Services.

The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures, and support the patients who sustain them. The Government is committed to ending the postcode lottery for access to Fracture Liaison Services.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 steps his Department is taking to support people diagnosed with osteoporosis.

On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week Referral to Treatment target by the end of this Parliament. Further information on the Elective Reform Plan is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/reforming-elective-care-for-patients/ Part of the plan sets out funding to boost bone density scanning capacity, to support improvements in early diagnosis and bone health for conditions such as osteoporosis. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year. As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of fracture liaison services in southwest London.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which make decisions according to local need. This includes the NHS South West London Integrated Care Board.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. This includes how best to support systems, who are responsible for commissioning.The Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme, which includes a dedicated Fracture Liaison Service database, is a national clinical audit of fracture prevention care, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. This includes reporting on individual Fracture Liaison Services, and supporting local and national service improvement.

Whether he has made an assessment of the (a) efficacy and (b) efficiency of NHS Pathways.

The Government is taking action to improve the efficacy and efficiency of NHS Pathways across the health system.The NHS Pathways clinical content and assessment protocols are consistent with the latest advice from the respected bodies that provide evidence and guidance for medical practice. In particular, NHS Pathways is concordant with the latest guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the UK Resuscitation Council, and the UK Sepsis Trust.The NHS Pathways Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) is a triage product used to support urgent and emergency care in England, and is embedded in NHS 111 and 999 telephony service, and NHS 111 online. It is continuously reviewed to ensure it remains safe, effective, and efficient. The system is developed and maintained by a group of experienced National Health Service clinicians with an urgent and emergency care background. The safety of the clinical triage process is overseen by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the relevant royal colleges, and clinical professional groups endorse and approve the CDSS.The NHS triages patients waiting for elective care, including surgeries, through clinical prioritisation, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time.The Government is taking action to improve efficacy and efficiency of NHS Pathways across the health system. The recently published Elective Reform Plan commits to reforming outpatient care through clinical pathway transformation. Reform will include doing more activity in the community and increasing the opportunities for patients to be referred straight to diagnostic tests without the need to first see a consultant, reducing unnecessary follow-up appointments and freeing up clinical time for those who need it most. The Elective Reform Plan also makes changes to advice and guidance to support more patients being cared for outside of hospitals, avoiding 800,000 unnecessary referrals each year.

What steps his Department is taking to make dentistry more affordable.

The Government is committed to National Health Service dental services being available for all those who need them. Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet one of the following criteria:under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;pregnant or had a baby in the previous 12 months;being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; andreceiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the regulation of private dental charges.

The National Health Service contracts independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment. Dentists must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each. If a patient decides to choose alternative private options, this should be included in their treatment plan.The Department and NHS England do not control the cost of private dental or orthodontic treatment.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the rate of breast cancer diagnoses for women with asymptomatic breast density.

The UK National Screening Committee is currently reviewing the evidence surrounding breast density in screening.Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. To support early detection and diagnosis, the Nati...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including breast density in medical data collection, in the context of diagnosing breast cancer.

The UK National Screening Committee is currently reviewing the evidence surrounding breast density in screening.Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. To support early detection and diagnosis, the Nati...

What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of healthcare provision in HMP Wandsworth.

Healthcare services at HMP Wandsworth underwent inspection, jointly undertaken by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and the Care Quality Commission, in May 2024. The joint inspectorate noted that improvements had been made across the provision of heal...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of healthcare provision across the prison estate.

NHS England’s Health and Justice Oversight Delivery Group is responsible for governance and oversight of delivery and continuous improvement in health and justice commissioned services. NHS England, via the regional health and justice teams, has regular m...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the (a) acceptable and (b) achievable levels of S07b incident screenings for mammograms.

As part of the NHS Breast Screening Programme, S07b is the ‘screening standard’ whereby ‘incident screens’, that is any subsequent breast screen after first screen, are referred for further assessment.NHS England has advised that there is expected to be a...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the number of breast cancer diagnoses at mammogram or other early stages.

Lord Darzi’s report has set out the scale of the challenges we face in fixing the National Health Service and the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival, including for breast cancer. In particular, he has highlighted the need ...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK Health Security Agency's response to the recent fire at the recycling centre on Weir Road.

The UK Heath Security Agency (UKHSA) provided expertise in local health protection and environmental hazards to support the response to this incident.UKHSA engaged with other stakeholders, including the London Fire Brigade and the Environment Agency, as w...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the supply of methylphenidate hydrochloride in pharmacies.

The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result ...

When he plans to respond to the correspondence of 7 August 2024 from the hon. Member for Tooting on children's cancer services in the South East.

We replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 16 September 2024. We apologise for the delay in replying, as this was due to Conference.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of adding asthma to the list of long-term medical conditions that are exempt from prescription charges.

There are no current plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with asthma may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12-month certificates available, and PPCs can be paid for in instalments.