Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 provide acknowledgement and redress to people who had faces damaged and developed serious side effects after retraction-extraction orthodontics during childhood.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is unable to intervene in or comment on individual cases. However, information for patients who have concerns or complaints about the treatments they have received on how to raise those issues with the relevant bodies is available at the following links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/feedback-and-complaints/complaint/
https://www.gdc-uk.org/raising-concerns/how-to-get-a-refund-or-make-a-complaint
According to orthodontic experts, dental extractions are undertaken to provide space when it is felt that attempting to correct a malocclusion would lead to harm. This is either to address crowding or correct anteroposterior, lateral, or vertical mal-relationships of the teeth or jaws. A recent systematic review published in the European Journal of Orthodontics suggests that extraction of premolars in orthodontic treatment does not negatively affect upper airway volume and minimum cross-sectional area. The review is available at the following link:
https://academic.oup.com/ejo/article/47/2/cjaf012/8068404
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason extraction-based orthodontic treatment is the predominant model of care within NHS orthodontic services, in the context of airway-focused and growth-guidance approaches.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is unable to intervene in or comment on individual cases. However, information for patients who have concerns or complaints about the treatments they have received on how to raise those issues with the relevant bodies is available at the following links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/feedback-and-complaints/complaint/
https://www.gdc-uk.org/raising-concerns/how-to-get-a-refund-or-make-a-complaint
According to orthodontic experts, dental extractions are undertaken to provide space when it is felt that attempting to correct a malocclusion would lead to harm. This is either to address crowding or correct anteroposterior, lateral, or vertical mal-relationships of the teeth or jaws. A recent systematic review published in the European Journal of Orthodontics suggests that extraction of premolars in orthodontic treatment does not negatively affect upper airway volume and minimum cross-sectional area. The review is available at the following link:
https://academic.oup.com/ejo/article/47/2/cjaf012/8068404
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that records from the UK National Breast Implant Registry for 1993 to 2006 are retained and preserved.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Breast Implant Registry was a series of Microsoft Access Databases which were consolidated into one spreadsheet by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the closure of the registry. The data was transferred to the MHRA in 2006 upon closure of the registry and consolidated into one spreadsheet over time.
The MHRA intends to retain this dataset for as long as the information is needed to support legal cases, in line with the recommendations of the 2020 Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review. The dataset is confidential, access within the MHRA is limited, and data will only be released through Subject Access Requests.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 access to treatments for pancreatic cancer and increase survival rates.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The National Cancer Plan includes further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rare and less survivable cancers such as pancreatic cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will help ensure patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and will put the National Health Service at the forefront of global cancer care.
The plan sets out a major expansion in the use of genomics to support earlier diagnosis and more personalised treatment. By 2028, genomic data will be integrated into the unified genomic record, forming part of the Single Patient Record, enabling clinicians to start patients on the most effective treatment pathway faster.
To accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatments, we will explore innovative procurement methods. This will aim to stimulate the development of new diagnostic tests, targeted therapies, and more effective treatments for rare cancers, ensuring that the NHS remains at the forefront of medical innovation.
Finally, 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. This includes symptoms of pancreatic cancer, which will support earlier diagnosis and better treatment options for patients with the disease.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 expand access to naloxone in communities.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
Naloxone forms a key part of the Government’s plan to reduce drug related deaths, and we are committed to expanding access to naloxone in communities across the country. The Government has already amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone by enabling more services and professionals to supply naloxone without needing a prescription.
In addition to the changes made in 2024, we recently published a United Kingdom wide public consultation which closed on 9 March, to seek views on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone. We are analysing the responses to this consultation, and we will be setting out the next steps soon.
One of the legislative proposals we have consulted on is to create a new route of supply by enabling publicly accessible naloxone for emergency use using a locked box model. This overdose prevention method could enable more local areas to have naloxone available at any time in high-risk public spaces such as high streets and near to nightlife venues, without needing a prescription or in person supply. We have also consulted on making further legislative changes to allow hostels, day centres, and outreach services for people experiencing homelessness to supply naloxone without a prescription.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 help ensure the routine freezing of suitable brain tumour tissue samples to improve patient access to genomic testing, personalised treatments and research.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Department continues to engage with NHS England and wider stakeholders on improving access to high-quality pathology and genomics services, including those relevant to brain tumour patients.
NHS England and the Department will work with professional bodies, including the Royal College of Pathologists, to review tissue retention guidance. This work includes guidance on the consent of fresh-tissue freezing for all cancers, including for brain tumour patients. The Genomics Medicine Service has developed a Genomics Centre of Excellence for brain cancers to ensure access to whole genome sequencing (WGS) for brain tumour patients.
NHS England has made several wider commitments to address variation in the access and provision of pathology services, particularly histopathology and genomics across England, and has issued national guidance on sample handling, including for WGS of solid tumours. This guidance is intended to support consistent approaches to maintaining DNA quality, and support improved consistency and access to precision diagnostics across England, to improve personalised treatments and further support research.
In addition, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh freezing of tissue samples have already been developed across pathology networks in England. It is, however, the responsibility of individual pathology services to maintain their own SOPs for the fresh freezing of tissue samples. These protocols outline local capabilities and practices, including access and storage capacity.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the NHS Federated Data Platform contract with Palantir ahead of the 2027 break clause, in the context of reported concerns about undisclosed access to identifiable patient data and the disapplication of the National Data Opt-Out.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.
The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:
As of the end of May 2026, 170 trusts have signed up for the NHS FDP including St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The supplier contract for the NHS FDP will be reviewed in line with standard contract management processes, and a decision will be made this year regarding the available extension provisions.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and whether he is supporting the development of new scanning technologies or screening methods to detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to improving outcomes for people affected by pancreatic cancer through earlier diagnosis, faster treatment and increased access to innovation. The National Cancer Plan for England identifies earlier diagnosis as a key priority and sets out actions to expand diagnostic capacity, improve access to tests and scans, and reduce the number of cancers diagnosed through emergency presentation.
Non-specific symptom pathways have been achieved across England, providing a route to diagnosis for patients whose symptoms may indicate cancer but do not align with a specific tumour type, which is particularly important for pancreatic cancer, where symptoms are often non-specific.
NHS England is supporting earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer by providing a route into surveillance programmes for people at inherited high risk, to help identify disease before it develops or at an earlier stage. In addition, NHS England is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests and developing faster referral routes for patients with non-specific symptoms.
The government is supporting the development and evaluation of innovative diagnostic technologies. Through the NHS Cancer Innovation Open Call, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust was awarded funding to assess the feasibility of Guardant360, a multi-cancer liquid biopsy test, within pancreatic and biliary tract cancer pathways across seven NHS trusts.
The Department invests approximately £1.8 billion each year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending, with £141.6 million invested in 2024/25. For example, NIHR-funded research is exploring how artificial intelligence can be used to improve the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and reduce instances of missed cancer diagnoses.
The UK National Screening Committee keeps evidence for cancer screening programmes under review. Any future decisions on pancreatic cancer screening would be informed by the available evidence on clinical effectiveness and population benefit.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 impact of corridor care and delayed transfers from emergency departments on patient safety, including the reported 16,000 deaths annually; and what steps his Department is taking to end the use of temporary care environments such as corridors and waiting areas in NHS hospitals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England are clear that corridor care is not acceptable and should never become standard practice. The figure of 16,000 deaths annually is a reported estimate rather than an official Government statistic. However, the Department recognises the serious risks associated with prolonged waits in emergency care, including delays to assessment, treatment, and admission. That is why reducing overcrowding, improving patient flow, and tackling discharge delays are central priorities for the National Health Service.
NHS England has introduced a clear national definition of corridor care and began daily reporting in March 2026, and this gives real-time visibility of pressures and is enabling targeted support from specialist teams for the most affected hospitals. As of June 2026, we are publishing data on incidence of corridor care, on a monthly basis. In addition, updated guidance published in December 2025 sets out how trusts should maintain safety, dignity, and privacy where temporary care environments are unavoidable, including senior clinical oversight and named nursing responsibility. We are also investing £215.5 million in 40 new and expanded urgent care sites across England, to reduce pressure on accident and emergency departments.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will publish its response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s report on the health impacts of breast implants and other cosmetic procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important work of the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) and remains committed to addressing longstanding concerns around safety in the cosmetic sector.
We will issue the Government’s response to the WEC report on cosmetic procedures once the Department’s consultation on our proposed approach to introducing legal safeguards for high-risk cosmetic procedures is published. We intend to publish the consultation in the coming weeks.