Written questions by Kaur.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) medical support for and (b) access to medical support for people with Crohn's disease (i) in England and (ii) in Southampton.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also produced a range of guidance on IBD, Crohn’s disease and colitis, to support early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions. It ensures that the care provided to people with IBD is based on the best available evidence. In the last two years, NICE has recommended four new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, namelt Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Mirikizumab and Etrasimod.NHS England’s National Bladder and Bowel Health Project is delivering better care for people with IBD, with a focus on developing clinical pathways. NHS England commissions specialised colorectal services nationally to support equity of access to high-quality treatment for patients with IBD requiring complex surgery. This work is supported within NHS England by the clinical leadership of the Specialised Colorectal Services Clinical Reference Group, which is made up of experts in surgery, medicine, radiology, pathology and nursing, alongside patient and public voice representatives.To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms and how to support patients with IBD.

What information his Department holds on the number of undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases and conditions in young people; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases and conditions on young people.

Data on the number of undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases and conditions in young people is not held centrally as these conditions are undiagnosed. The National Health Service, however, offers screening to young persons, those aged under 35 years old, where a family member has suffered from a sudden cardiac death. The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young offers subsidised cardiac screening to all young people aged between 14 and 35 years old and may hold data on the number of young people requesting screening outside of the NHS.NHS England published in 2017 a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC), which defines the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England. This specification covers young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease. The aim of the ICC services is to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with ICCs.NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of the review, including NHS clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. NHS England does not have a national audit programme for ICCs, and therefore no treatment data is held centrally.

What steps he is taking to help improve diagnostic rates for cardiovascular conditions and diseases in young people in (a) Southampton and (b) England.

The Government is committed to tackling the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), and our Health Mission sets an ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade. The 10-Year Health Plan, once published, will set out the Government's overarching vision for delivering the critical shift from a focus on treating illness to preventing conditions such as CVD.Specific national strategies targeting the improvement of CVD diagnostic rates in children and young people are not featured in current public health programs. However, NHS England’s work emphasises the importance of early intervention and prevention across all age groups, and is committed to improving CVD care and outcomes through enhanced diagnostic support in the community, better personalised planning, and increased access to disease-specific rehabilitation.Southampton City Council’s Children and Young People’s Strategy 2022-2027 outlines how they will invest in prevention, working with schools and communities to identify needs and deliver services as early as possible. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy similarly focuses on promoting healthy choices and behaviours in children to reduce CVD risk factors. The Government and NHS England will support local leaders to make the best choices to meet the needs of their local populations.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve lobular breast cancer outcomes.

Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including lobular breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets, so that no patient waits longer than they should.The NHS Breast Screening Programme offers all women in England between the ages of 50 years old and their 71st birthday the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer, to help detect abnormalities and intervene early to reduce the number of lives lost to invasive breast cancer.The Department invests £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.We are proud to have invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer.The NIHR funds research on cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment and care, which saves lives. NIHR funds research in response to proposals received and would welcome applications from researchers on lobular breast cancer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the roll-out of Oxevision in mental health hospitals on patient wellbeing.

NHS England has commissioned a rapid evidence review of vision based monitoring systems, which is available at the following link:https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-024-03673-9These insights have been used to work in partnership with people with lived experience, clinicians, and stakeholders to develop national guidance, which will be published imminently.

What steps he is taking to increase awareness of sepsis prevention (a) nationally and (b) in each local NHS trust.

Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test and presentation can vary, making it difficult to diagnose. Early intervention can prevent further deterioration of acutely unwell patients, to help mitigate negative outcomes.Recent evidence suggests that there is high awareness of sepsis among the general public. The Government and its Arm’s Length Bodies are therefore focused on improving the clinical awareness and recognition of sepsis by healthcare professionals, so that unwell and deteriorating patients are identified promptly and started on life-saving treatment. NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts, as new national sepsis guidance is implemented.Individual National Health Service trusts may also choose to implement additional initiatives on sepsis locally. NHS England is leading the rollout of Martha’s Rule within 143 hospital sites by March 2025. Martha’s Rule will give staff, patients, and families the ability to initiate a rapid review for acute physiological deterioration, which will inform whether further actions are required to give the patient the most appropriate and safe care.

What steps he is taking to support social workers.

We support social workers through our existing initiatives such as bursaries, which is the main funding route to support students studying Higher Education Institute courses, and the Assessed Supported Year in Employment, which provides support and assessment for newly qualified social workers.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) level and (b) quality of support provided by (i) GPs and the (ii) wider medical profession to women experiencing (A) peri-menopausal and (B) menopausal symptoms.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service. Evidence from the women's health strategy call for evidence in 2021 identified difficulties accessing care due to lack of recognition of symptoms from both women and healthcare professionals, and reluctance of some healthcare professionals to prescribe hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms.A range of information and resources are available to help primary care professionals to support women experiencing menopause symptoms. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has a holistic curriculum of training that all general practitioners (GPs) must cover before they are able to pass the examination to become a member of the RCGP and work independently as a GP. There is a specific section on women’s health, including menopause. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is also updating its guideline on menopause diagnosis and management.The Department has also invested £25 million over 2023/24 and 2024/25 to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system. These provide more specialist care for women in the community, and many of them also act as a point of training and support for their local GP community. Menopause care is a core service for pilot women’s health hubs.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing car-parking charges for NHS patients and staff.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of removing car-parking charges for National Health Service patients and staff.All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking to in-need groups, which include NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people, and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the survival rate of blood cancer patients.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent referral by a general practitioner or screening programme to patients being told that they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out.The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials, and ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to NHS patients, including those with blood cancer.Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.Professor Lord Darzi has undertaken an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will therefore set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services (NCRAS), collects information on how many people in England have cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/All cases of cancer diagnosed and treated in the NHS in England are registered by the NCRAS. This creates a clinically rich data resource that is used to measure diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by the NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contribute to improved outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) speed and (b) accuracy of blood cancer diagnoses.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent referral by a general practitioner or screening programme to patients being told that they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out.The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials, and ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to NHS patients, including those with blood cancer.Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.Professor Lord Darzi has undertaken an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will therefore set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services (NCRAS), collects information on how many people in England have cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/All cases of cancer diagnosed and treated in the NHS in England are registered by the NCRAS. This creates a clinically rich data resource that is used to measure diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by the NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contribute to improved outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer.

What information his Department holds on regional variations in (a) the speed of diagnosis and (b) health outcomes for blood cancer patients.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent referral by a general practitioner or screening programme to patients being told that they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out.The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials, and ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to NHS patients, including those with blood cancer.Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.Professor Lord Darzi has undertaken an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will therefore set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services (NCRAS), collects information on how many people in England have cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/All cases of cancer diagnosed and treated in the NHS in England are registered by the NCRAS. This creates a clinically rich data resource that is used to measure diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by the NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contribute to improved outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to require all vaping products to be (a) sold in plain packaging and (b) kept out of sight behind the counter.

As set out in the Kings Speech, the Government will soon introduce legislation which will impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes, and stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will give ministers’ powers to regulate the flavours, packaging, and point of sale display of vapes. Further consultation and assessment will follow which will determine what specific regulations are brought in using these powers.

What steps he is taking to help improve outcomes for skin cancer patients.

To improve outcomes for skin cancer patients, NHS England is undertaking a number of interventions. This includes funding and programme management to support local cancer alliances in achieving the Faster Diagnosis Standard for skin cancer. NHS England provides implementation guidance, as well as collaboration and networking events, to support providers with ways to deliver best practice timed pathways.Since 2023/24, NHS England has also been rolling out teledermatology services, which allow a virtual review of dermoscopic images. In providers where this has been fully implemented, improvements in workforce capacity have been seen doubling the number of patients that can be reviewed per clinic in some cases, and improving Faster Diagnosis Standard performance. Nationally, as of June 2024, 43% of all urgent suspected skin cancer referrals were managed via teledermatology, with the aim of reaching 50% by the end of the financial year.

What steps he is taking to help improve outcomes for glioblastoma brain tumour patients.

NHS England and the Department are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for glioblastoma brain tumour patients. NHS England has worked with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to designate centres of excellence in the management of brain tumours, with nine centres having achieved designation. The Mission has a workstream on training to expand the brain tumour treatment workforce in collaboration between National Health Service bodies, Royal Colleges and charities.Further to this, in September 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, including glioblastoma, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support and rehabilitation.We are aware of Siobhain McDonagh's campaign, in memory of the late Baroness McDonagh, and are committed to working together to explore options.We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer, including brain tumours, on time, diagnosing it earlier and treating it faster so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. To do this, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of CT, MRI and other tests that are needed to reduce cancer waits.