Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve turnaround times for genomic and biomarker testing of suspected cancers in (a) Berkshire and (b) the UK.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is delivered by a network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs), with the South-East GLH serving Berkshire. Genomic testing is one element of the cancer pathway, with other dependencies on overall turnaround times. NHS England captures Patient Level Contract Monitoring data across the GLHs, and performance data is published quarterly on the NHS England website, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/
NHS England has developed a Cancer Genomic Improvement Programme to support the equitable delivery of services for cancer patients. The Cancer Genomic Improvement Programme engages representatives from across the entire sample pathway. The programme also includes establishing Cellular Pathology Genomic Centres to streamline diagnostic sample pathways and support the timely return of genomic test results.
NHS England is not responsible for NHS turnaround times in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of patients with (a) suspected and (b) confirmed rare cancers who have access to treatments through clinical trials of medications currently approved for other indications.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with rare cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials, including trials where medicines are repurposed, as well as innovative, lifesaving treatments.
The Department is working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including for rare cancers. The Department invests £1.6 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.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including patients with rare cancers. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials.
The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) recognition of the signs and symptoms of rare cancers by General Practitioners and (b) rate of referral to specialist diagnostic testing for patients who present with signs and symptoms of rare cancers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including rare and less common cancers, earlier and to treat them faster.
The Department is taking steps to improve public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, including rare and less common cancers, through supporting the NHS in streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. The Department is also committed to ensuring that general practitioners have the right training and systems to identify cancer, including rare and less common cancers. The use of specific clinical decision support tools is agreed at a local level.
Furthermore, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type. The Department will continue to look at opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform diagnostic performance and ultimately bring down waiting times, including for cancer.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including for rare and less common cancers. The plan will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment and will ensure that all patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, (b) the NHS, (c) Cabinet colleagues and (d) other stakeholders on indication-specific pricing of medications used in the treatment of more than one form of cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not held any meetings specifically on the topic of indication-specific pricing of medications used in the treatment of more than one form of cancer.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of including PSA testing in routine NHS health checks.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has commissioned a university to carry out a high quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes considering evidence that looks at targeted screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, as well as looking at other screening tests.
The UK NSC’s previous review in 2020 advised against screening because the current best test, the PSA test, is not accurate. As a result, it can lead to some men receiving false reassurance when they do actually have prostate cancer, and others receiving unnecessary further tests when they did not have prostate cancer.
We need a better test, which is why the Government has invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, to look for a better test.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will announce a timeline for the NHS Genomic Medicine Service to establish a public facing dashboard setting out data on (a) turnaround times and (b) volume of testing activity across each genomic laboratory hub.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since December 2023, National Health Service genomic testing activity data has been published on the NHS England website, and is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/
This standardised data is collected from all NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). GLHs and NHS England will continue to publish genomic testing activity data on a quarterly basis. Currently, only activity data is published, however there are plans to add turnaround time data in future publications.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to establish a regular bladder cancer audit to (a) reduce data gaps in the reporting of (i) incidence and (ii) staging, (b) capture data on inequalities and (c) provide an evidence base for addressing unwarranted variation in early diagnosis and outcomes for bladder cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Cancer Programme commissioned the Royal College of Surgeons to deliver six new clinical audits, in primary breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney cancer, on top of four existing audits in bowel, lung, oesophago-gastric, and prostate cancer. These audits were chosen because analysts considered that they are the cancers which audits would have the most potential to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and outcomes. For these reasons, there are no plans to undertake a clinical audit for bladder cancer.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with bladder cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor the availability of cancer services during the reorganisation of NHS England into his Department.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst this transformation takes place, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, and we will work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.
We continue to work to reduce the time that people are waiting for a diagnosis of cancer and to start treatment, including through the Government’s investment of £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it. We will also support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
To achieve this, in line with 2025/26 Planning Guidance, we have asked systems to continue to improve performance against the 28-day faster diagnosis standard to 80%, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard to 75% by March 2026.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review (a) guidelines and (b) referral criteria for the direct rectal examination for prostate cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all patients with cancer, including prostate cancer, are diagnosed faster and more accurately, with the most appropriate diagnostic methods available. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on best practice for health and social care professionals in England.
Current NICE guidance does not recommend digital rectal examination for diagnosing prostate cancer. NICE does recommend digital rectal examination as part of the physical examination that should be offered to all men with lower urinary tract symptoms as part of their initial assessment. The guidelines are available at the following link:
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) general practice surgeries and (b) other non-domestic organisations by sector have (i) applied for and (ii) received support through the boiler upgrade scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not have data specifying the nature of the business or a sector-level breakdown for non-domestic installations under the scheme. From May 2022 to April 2025, the scheme has received 394 non-domestic voucher applications, with 250 non-domestic grants paid.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme update and publish monthly statistics here, which includes number of grants paid by whether the property is domestic or non-domestic and technology type (tab 1.5), with further information on number of grants paid by whether the property is domestic or non-domestic broken down by financial year (tab A1.4).