Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total amount of research funding spent on lobular breast cancer research was in 2022- 2023.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
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.
On 4 February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via NIHR. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including lobular breast cancer.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total amount of research funding spent on lobular breast cancer research was in 2023- 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
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.
On 4 February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via NIHR. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including lobular breast cancer.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does he plans to publish allocations of the Public Health Grant for 2025-26.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published the 2025/26 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities on 7 February. Further details are available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 rolling out cardiac screening to young people.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that screening should not be offered. More information on the review is available at the following link:
https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/
Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms, and that treatments and interventions were not based on good scientific evidence to prevent SCD.
To stop SCDs in young people, the current consensus is to focus on rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of SCD due to a family link or because they have had symptoms, and to train people to carry out cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and to use defibrillators.
NHS England has published guidance for inherited cardiac conditions which requires services to investigate patients with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, suggestive symptoms or from families with sudden unexplained deaths. Where a genetic variation is identified, cascade testing is offered to relatives based on risk.
We are aware that the UK NSC has received a submission via its annual call process to consider SCD screening in young people aged between 14 and 35 years old engaging in sport. The UK NSC is currently reviewing all annual call proposals. More information on the annual call process is available at the following link:
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 ensure early identification of cardiac problems in young people.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
NHS England has published a suite of national service specifications and standards for Paediatric Cardiac Services, which define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England, to support and improve the diagnosis and treatment of congenital cardiac problems in young people, with congenital heart disease constituting the bulk of paediatric cardiac cases. The specifications and standards cover all Paediatric Cardiac activity, including surgery and cardiology, taking place in the Specialist Children’s Surgical Centres, Specialist Children’s Cardiology Centres, and Local Children's Cardiac Centres, including activity undertaken by the Specialist Centres on an outreach basis where it is delivered as part of a provider network, with the aim of ensuring all patient care is of a consistent high quality.
NHS England has also published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC), which covers young adults. The aim of ICC services is to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with inherited cardiac conditions. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of the review, including clinical experts in the National Health Service, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice and the British Heart Foundation.
The Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme also sets out standards for antenatal screening by ultrasound of serious congenital abnormalities, including which abnormalities should be screened for and expected detection rates, with 68% of serious abnormalities detected antenatally.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 adequacy of the availability of early pregnancy services in A&E departments (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of early pregnancy services in accident and emergency departments. It is vital that women seeking support, including in early pregnancy, get the care they need. We will continue to work with NHS England to improve the Early Pregnancy Assessment Units’ (EPAUs) services, where the Pregnancy Loss Review found variation in the availability of EPAUs.
We encourage all women who have concerns about their pregnancy to seek help from a healthcare professional. Accident and emergency departments are 24-hour services, so a person presenting with concerns related to early pregnancy would initially be assessed by an emergency medicine clinician. Where further specialist care is needed, the person would be supported in an Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic, or through the attendance of an obstetrician at the accident and emergency.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent guidance his Department has issued to NHS Foundation Trusts on the provision of early pregnancy services (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.
We will continue to work with NHS England to ensure that we listen to women and their families, and learn lessons from recent inquiries and investigations, including recommendations from the pregnancy loss review.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 support the development of a (a) safe and (b) effective Group B Streptococcus vaccine.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The UK Health Security Agency’s Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC) has been supporting the creation of a safe and effective maternal vaccine for Group B Streptococcus (GBS).
A maternal vaccine for GBS, which protects infants from both the early and late onset of the disease, will have a positive impact on infant mortality and morbidity. It will also lead to a sharp reduction in the use of antibiotics in neonatal units worldwide. By focusing on effectiveness, through advanced immune response evaluations, these efforts are accelerating the development of a reliable GBS vaccine that can protect vulnerable populations worldwide. Further information on how VDEC is supporting a GBS vaccine to prevent newborn deaths is available at the following link:
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 ensure that the results of the GBS3 trial can be acted upon (a) quickly and (b) effectively.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.
As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with Group B Strep Support to discuss the importance of (a) early and (b)consistent diagnosis of Group B Streptococcus.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.
As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.