Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in South Shields constituency compared with national averages; what steps he is taking to ensure that respiratory health is prioritised; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.
Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs for South Shields and England where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:
Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence | 2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025) | 2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025) |
South Shields | 1030 | 890 |
England | 608,449 | 423,588 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.
Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for South Tyneside can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a respiratory Modern Service Framework, in the context of (a) NHS winter pressures and (b) health outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of families are eligible to participate in the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start Scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start Scheme and the latest uptake figures, where data is available, are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
This data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household. In September 2025, Healthy Start supported over 356,000 people.
The latest uptake figures, where data is available, are from March 2022. These figures represent the uptake across both the paper based and digital scheme. The paper based scheme closed at the end of March 2022.
Due to an issue that was identified with the source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme, the uptake percentage is not currently being published. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHSBSA to resolve this issue. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the uptake figures were for the Healthy Start scheme in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start Scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start Scheme and the latest uptake figures, where data is available, are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
This data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household. In September 2025, Healthy Start supported over 356,000 people.
The latest uptake figures, where data is available, are from March 2022. These figures represent the uptake across both the paper based and digital scheme. The paper based scheme closed at the end of March 2022.
Due to an issue that was identified with the source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme, the uptake percentage is not currently being published. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHSBSA to resolve this issue. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of eligible families are receiving Healthy Start in South Shields constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start.
An issue was identified with the source data that is used to calculate uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA has therefore removed data for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards.
The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.
The number of people on the digital scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme for all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part:
Local authority | Ward | People on digital scheme |
South Tyneside | Beacon and Bents | 44 |
South Tyneside | Bede | 93 |
South Tyneside | Biddick and All Saints | 160 |
South Tyneside | Boldon Colliery | 65 |
South Tyneside | Cleadon and East Boldon | 2 |
South Tyneside | Cleadon Park | 50 |
South Tyneside | Fellgate and Hedworth | 54 |
South Tyneside | Harton | 59 |
South Tyneside | Hebburn North | 79 |
South Tyneside | Hebburn South | 65 |
South Tyneside | Horsley Hill | 82 |
South Tyneside | Monkton | 42 |
South Tyneside | Primrose | 71 |
South Tyneside | Simonside and Rekendyke | 121 |
South Tyneside | West Park | 49 |
South Tyneside | Westoe | 26 |
South Tyneside | Whitburn and Marsden | 24 |
South Tyneside | Whiteleas | 76 |
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families receive Healthy Start in South Shields.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures on the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The following table shows the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme, broken down by all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part, as the NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies:
Local authority | Ward | People on the digital scheme |
South Tyneside | Beacon and Bents | 44 |
South Tyneside | Bede | 93 |
South Tyneside | Biddick and All Saints | 160 |
South Tyneside | Boldon Colliery | 65 |
South Tyneside | Cleadon and East Boldon | 2 |
South Tyneside | Cleadon Park | 50 |
South Tyneside | Fellgate and Hedworth | 54 |
South Tyneside | Harton | 59 |
South Tyneside | Hebburn North | 79 |
South Tyneside | Hebburn South | 65 |
South Tyneside | Horsley Hill | 82 |
South Tyneside | Monkton | 42 |
South Tyneside | Primrose | 71 |
South Tyneside | Simonside and Rekendyke | 121 |
South Tyneside | West Park | 49 |
South Tyneside | Westoe | 26 |
South Tyneside | Whitburn and Marsden | 24 |
South Tyneside | Whiteleas | 76 |
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Tumour-infiltrating Lymphocytes therapy has been licenced in the UK.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not licenced any medicines that can be described as tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce to report.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.
Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.
We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26821 on Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, whether the taskforce plans to engage with (a) families with lived experience of childhood cancer, (b) children’s cancer charities and (c) other representative groups.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.
Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.
We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the terms of reference will be for the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.
Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.
We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.