Written questions by Aquarone.

With reference to Action 15 of the National Cancer Plan, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that patients in remote and rural areas with poor access to public transport are not disadvantaged in their ability to access specialist treatment.

The National Cancer Plan sets out how we will tackle unwarranted geographical variation head on and ensure that everyone has access to the best diagnostic and treatment services, no matter their postcode.We recognise that rural and coastal areas have been struggling for too long, which is why this plan is increasing the number of training places for cancer consultants in rural and coastal areas, particularly in areas where there are a high number of vacancies. This will ensure quality improvement in the trusts with the greatest needs and provide all patients with access to specialised cancer doctors.We will utilise data driven service planning tools, to support local systems to plan specialist care in a way that is accessible to everyone. It will take account of travel time and the impact on different groups who can experience disparities, such as older people, some ethnic groups, and those that live in rural and coastal areas.

Whether the workforce modelling used as the basis for the 10 Year Workforce Plan will be independent; and whether the results of that modelling will be independently assessed and tested.

We have committed to updating workforce modelling which will be set out in and alongside the 10 Year Workforce Plan when published in spring 2026. This will be supported by external scrutiny to independently assess and test it.

What estimate his Department has made of the cost incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge; how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs; and whether he will introduce a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to support with these costs.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England.The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) is designed to provide financial support for eligible patients to facilitate their journeys to and from National Health Service-funded secondary care. Eligibility for HTCS is set by DHSC and details are available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also several charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.NHS England does not collect national patient-level data on uptake of the HTCS. This data is held by the organisation paying for the claim, often the hospital trust or integrated care board. Therefore, DHSC has not made a formal assessment of the cost incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge and how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs. On 4 February 2025, DHSC relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve experience and outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England.

Whether he has attended meetings with the Secretary of State for Education on the allocation of new dental school places since 1 January 2025.

Ministers regularly engage with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.The independent Office for Students (OfS) has statutory responsibility for allocating funding for medical and dental school places. Allocation outcomes are based on guidance issued by the Government, alongside an OfS assessment of provider capability.

What steps he is taking to help prevent the closure of convalescence facilities in Norfolk.

It is important that there are adequate services and facilities to support people to recover after a hospital stay. We expect local authorities to ensure that a diverse range of high-quality services are available, working with their NHS integrated care board. Our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service shifts care from hospital to communities, so that services are delivered as close to people’s homes as possible.

What steps his Department is taking to help support community-based preventative services for older people in Norfolk.

The NHS is implementing various preventative services to support older people in maintaining their health and independence. These services include:Support for frailty: The NHS Toolkit for General practice in supporting older people living with frailty offers tools to GPs and practice staff to identify and manage frailty in patients aged 65 and over.Integrated care systems: The NHS 10 Year Plan aims to move care from hospitals into communities, bringing together health and care professionals to provide proactive care and prevention services.Preventive primary care: Preventive primary care interventions are being evaluated to improve functional ability and self-rated health for older people. These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to improve the quality of care and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions for older people. The NHS is working with partners across health and social care to ensure that older people receive the highest quality care when they need it. Norfolk and Waveney ICB, working with Norfolk County Council, local authorities, the voluntary sector, and NHS providers, has established a wide range of preventative services to help older people live healthier, more independent lives. The ICB’s Protect NoW programme is tackling inequalities and improving access to health and care services through Population Health Management (PHM) and risk stratification. Projects include improving access to talking therapies, falls prevention, and the Dementia North Norfolk programme, which connects people to housing, benefits, social activities, and carers’ support. In addition, the Health Connect initiative has supported over 9,000 residents after hospital discharge, reducing the risk of readmission through practical, emotional, health, and social support.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the availability of research into less survivable cancers; and what steps his Department is taking to incentivise people to undertake research into this area.

The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).The Government is investing in new lifesaving and life-improving research to support those diagnosed with less survivable cancers. An example of this is the announcement of the NIHR’s new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium, which will bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of making scientific advances in how we prevent, detect, manage and treat rarer but less-survivable cancers in adults and children.The NIHR continue to welcome further high-quality proposals from researchers to inform approaches to prevention, treatment and care in relation to less survivable cancers.Furthermore, the Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with rare cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for all cancer patients in England, including for rare and less common cancers.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of NHS tie-in periods for newly qualified dentists on access to NHS dental service.

It costs £200,000 of taxpayer’s money to train a dentist. We believe it is right and fair to taxpayers to expect graduate dentists to invest their skills and expertise in the National Health Service for at least some amount of time.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health. We intend this minimum period to be at least three years.We will be working closely with the sector on the detail of the tie-in scheme and will consult on the detail and design of the model in due course.

Whether his Department has conducted any regional modelling of dental workforce planning in (a) Norfolk and (b) the East of England.

NHS England data shows that as of December 2024, 2,810 general dentists were working in the East of England, including 1,108 National Health Service full time equivalent (FTE) general dentists. The vacancy rate for NHS dentists was 17%. On the same date, 365 general dentists were working in Norfolk and Waveney, including 149 NHS FTE general dentists. The vacancy rate for NHS dentists was 18%.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. Staff will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when patients need it.Integrated care boards are also recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

If he will take steps to ensure that dental patients in Norfolk will be included in NHS tie-in periods for newly qualified dentists.

It costs £200,000 of taxpayer’s money to train a dentist. We believe it is right and fair to taxpayers to expect graduate dentists to invest their skills and expertise in the National Health Service for at least some amount of time.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health. We intend this minimum period to be at least three years.We will be working closely with the sector on the detail of the tie-in scheme and will consult on the detail and design of the model in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of ringfencing funding for cycle paramedic services.

No such assessment has been made.

How many payments under the dental recruitment incentive scheme have been allocated to North Norfolk constituency.

Data is not held on how many payments under the Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme have been allocated at the constituency level. The responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population is delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.Further information on the dental recruitment process can be found in guidance issued by NHS England, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dental-recruitment-incentive-scheme-2024-25/

What steps his Department is taking to help support the establishment of a dental school at the University of East Anglia.

We would like to congratulate the University of East Anglia on its newly awarded dental school status and its ambitions to train the future dentistry workforce. Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and the Government welcomes efforts to help to deliver this ambition.Government approval or funding is not required to establish a new dental school. Provided that a prospective dental school meets the requirements of the General Dental Council and the Office for Students, it would be considered for any future Government-funded training places.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. It will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, and with the right skills, to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it. From now on, we will ensure that staff will be better treated, and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so that they can achieve more.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 16285 on Methylphenidate: Shortage, what recent progress his Department has made on improving the supply of methylphenidate in (a) Norfolk and (b) the UK.

The supply of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets has greatly improved. However, some issues persist. We are continuing to work to resolve these remaining issues by engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets and capsules to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to build further capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. The Department is also working with new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets and capsules to improve the supply and resiliency for the United Kingdom’s market.The Department continually updates a list of currently available and unavailable attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website. This helps ensure those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. This list is available at the following link: www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within Norfolk is not held centrally.

What steps he is taking to reduce cost inefficiencies in purchasing medical supplies.

NHS England’s new Operating Model, published on 30 January, sets out in Section 4 how it will support National Health Service bodies to deliver efficiencies by improving commercial arrangements. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/our-new-operating-model-supporting-you-to-deliver-high-quality-care-for-patients/These include supporting them to make full use of the products, goods, and services available through the NHS Supply Chain, when best value exists, to procure from frameworks operated by an accredited framework host, to use the NHS Spend Comparison Service to identify savings, the Health Commercial System, also known as Atamis, to undertake commercial activity, and the NHS procurement value and savings methodology to track and report on procurement savings and benefits.

What recent estimate he has made of when he will meet his target of providing an extra 62,000 neurology appointments in England in each year.

Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. Currently, the waiting list stands at 7.48 million patient pathways, with over 6 million people waiting, including 235,000 on neurology waiting lists.We will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029, increasing performance to 65% by March 2026, as set out in the Elective Reform Plan. We will deliver an additional 2 million operations, scans, and appointments across all specialties, including neurology appointments, during our first year in Government, as a First Step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.Alongside the breadth of reforms and productivity efforts in the plan, we will increase activity, deliver improvements in patient experience, and reduce waiting times for neurology patients across the country.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) data for and (b) research into coastal communities.

The National Institute for Heath and Care Research (NIHR) has funded a range of research specifically focusing on coastal populations, including investing in local authority and higher education partnerships, as well as studies that focussed on health care in these areas. Further information about this research is available at the following link:https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/pages/homepage/The NIHR has a Research Inclusion Strategy which, amongst other objectives, aims to widen research access and participation for greater diversity and inclusion, including for populations in coastal communities. Further information on the strategy is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/research-inclusion/strategy-2022-27The NIHR’s research funding guidance requires researchers to show how they will make sure their research is inclusive and addresses inequalities in health and care, with further information available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/research-inclusion/funding-application-guidance

If he will publish a cross-Government strategy on the health and wellbeing of coastal communities.

We are taking action across Government to address the environmental and socio-economic determinants of health, and are aiming to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions. We know that targeted action to tackle health inequalities will facilitate economic opportunities, and support a National Health Service fit for the future.Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. We have established 11 working groups to take forward policy development that will feed into the plan. This includes working groups focused on how care should be designed and delivered to improve healthcare equity, alongside ensuring that access to healthcare services is effective and responsive.

How many prescriptions for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy were dispensed by Norfolk and Waveney (a) integrated care board and (b) clinical commissioning group in each year between 2019 and 2024.

The Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) provided by the NHS Business Services Authority gives the total number of prescription items of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The following data relates to prescriptions for products that fall within the definition as set out in Paragraph 010904, related to pancreatin, in the British National Formulary.The following table shows the total number of National Health Service prescription items that were dispensed in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, regardless of where prescribed, from January 2019 to November 2024YearNumber of prescription items201914,291202013,587202113,933202213,933202314,460202414,698Note: data for 2024 is from January to November.The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) relates to the prescribing organisation, so the following statistics are consistent with the English Prescribing datasets rather than the dispensing organisation shown in PCA.The following table shows the total number of NHS prescription items that were prescribed by cost centres linked to the Sub Integrated Care Board Location (SICBL), or prior to 2020 the CCG area of Norfolk and Waveney, from January 2019 to November 2024:YearNumber of prescription items201914,290202013,727202114,238202214,387202314,904202414,935Note: data for 2024 is from January to November.Historical data has been re-presented using the latest NHS organisation structure. These two tables are not directly comparable as the data available for integrated care boards relates to dispensing, whereas the data available at the SICBL or CCG level relates to items prescribed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21526 on Methylphenidate: Norfolk, how many prescriptions for methylphenidate were dispensed by Norfolk and Waveney (a) integrated care board and (b) clinical commissioning group in each year between 2019 and 2024.

The Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) from the NHS Business Services Authority provides the total number of prescription items of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The following table shows the total number of National Health Service prescription items for the chemical substance methylphenidate that were dispensed in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) area from January 2019 to October 2024, latest data available, regardless of where prescribed:Total prescription items dispensed in Norfolk and Waveney ICB201933,733202030,723202131,320202231,267202332,138202428,249Note: data for 2024 is from January to October. In addition, the following table shows the total number of NHS prescription items for the chemical substance methylphenidate that were prescribed by cost centres linked to the Sub ICB Location (SICBL), or prior to 2020, the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area of Norfolk and Waveney, from January 2019 to October 2024:Total prescription items prescribed in Norfolk and Waveney SICBL201931,751202029,665202130,334202230,431202331,233202427,086Notes:data for 2024 is from January to October; andhistorical data has been re-presented using the latest NHS organisation structure.The CCG relates to the prescribing organisation, so the statistics are consistent with the English prescribing datasets rather than the dispensing organisation shown in PCA.