Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of people who receive treatment for cancer within 31 days of a decision to begin that treatment.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Department is taking steps to reduce cancer diagnosis and treatment waiting times across England, including the time between an urgent general practice referral and the commencement of treatment for cancer for patients. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity. Additionally, as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.

To help achieve the cancer waiting times standards, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways. This includes implementing non-symptom specific pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, as well as timed cancer pathways focused on the most challenged pathways, such as lower gastrointestinal and skin cancer. The pathways aim to support improvements in operational performance and patient experience, as well as providing models to support sustainable improvement.

Furthermore, to improve cancer treatment we are maximising the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity. We are currently delivering the second year of the three-year investment plan for establishing community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are ensuring timely implementation of new CDC locations and upgrades to existing CDCs, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics. As of April 2024, 160 CDCs are operational, and have delivered almost 8 million tests, checks, and scans since July 2021. Additionally, we are supporting advances in radiotherapy. Since 2016, we’ve invested £162 million into cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment to replace or upgrade over 100 radiotherapy treatment machines.

We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for patients, and our approach is seeing success. Almost 344,000 people received their first cancer treatment in the 12 months to March 2024. Further, 2023/24 is the best year so far for the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), with the latest performance data showing that NHS England hit the FDS target for the second month in a row at 77.3%, above the standard of 75%. We have also reduced the 62 day or over cancer referral to treatment backlog, to pre-pandemic levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of people who are provided a cancer diagnosis within 28 days of their referral for testing.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Department is taking steps to reduce cancer diagnosis and treatment waiting times across England, including the time between an urgent general practice referral and the commencement of treatment for cancer for patients. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity. Additionally, as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.

To help achieve the cancer waiting times standards, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways. This includes implementing non-symptom specific pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, as well as timed cancer pathways focused on the most challenged pathways, such as lower gastrointestinal and skin cancer. The pathways aim to support improvements in operational performance and patient experience, as well as providing models to support sustainable improvement.

Furthermore, to improve cancer treatment we are maximising the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity. We are currently delivering the second year of the three-year investment plan for establishing community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are ensuring timely implementation of new CDC locations and upgrades to existing CDCs, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics. As of April 2024, 160 CDCs are operational, and have delivered almost 8 million tests, checks, and scans since July 2021. Additionally, we are supporting advances in radiotherapy. Since 2016, we’ve invested £162 million into cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment to replace or upgrade over 100 radiotherapy treatment machines.

We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for patients, and our approach is seeing success. Almost 344,000 people received their first cancer treatment in the 12 months to March 2024. Further, 2023/24 is the best year so far for the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), with the latest performance data showing that NHS England hit the FDS target for the second month in a row at 77.3%, above the standard of 75%. We have also reduced the 62 day or over cancer referral to treatment backlog, to pre-pandemic levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of people of people who are treated within 62 days of referral for cancer treatment.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Department is taking steps to reduce cancer diagnosis and treatment waiting times across England, including the time between an urgent general practice referral and the commencement of treatment for cancer for patients. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity. Additionally, as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.

To help achieve the cancer waiting times standards, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways. This includes implementing non-symptom specific pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, as well as timed cancer pathways focused on the most challenged pathways, such as lower gastrointestinal and skin cancer. The pathways aim to support improvements in operational performance and patient experience, as well as providing models to support sustainable improvement.

Furthermore, to improve cancer treatment we are maximising the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity. We are currently delivering the second year of the three-year investment plan for establishing community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are ensuring timely implementation of new CDC locations and upgrades to existing CDCs, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics. As of April 2024, 160 CDCs are operational, and have delivered almost 8 million tests, checks, and scans since July 2021. Additionally, we are supporting advances in radiotherapy. Since 2016, we’ve invested £162 million into cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment to replace or upgrade over 100 radiotherapy treatment machines.

We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for patients, and our approach is seeing success. Almost 344,000 people received their first cancer treatment in the 12 months to March 2024. Further, 2023/24 is the best year so far for the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), with the latest performance data showing that NHS England hit the FDS target for the second month in a row at 77.3%, above the standard of 75%. We have also reduced the 62 day or over cancer referral to treatment backlog, to pre-pandemic levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment in Merseyside.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Department is taking steps to reduce cancer diagnosis and treatment waiting times across England, including Merseyside. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity. Additionally, as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England are providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.

The latest published cancer performance data for Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) shows that in March 2024, 76% of patients referred met the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), which aims to ensure patients have cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral from a general practice or screening services. This surpasses the 75% standard and shows an improvement of 5.8% since March 2023.

Similarly, the latest performance data for Cheshire and Merseyside ICB shows that of those referred for cancer treatment in in March 2024, 92.4% met the 31-day wait from a decision to treat to first or subsequent treatment of cancer combined standard, and 75.4% met the 62-day referral to first definitive treatment for cancer combined standard. According to data from NHS England, this is above national cancer performance for both treatment standards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the mental health of (a) doctors and (b) the wider NHS workforce.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The mental health and wellbeing of the National Health Service workforce is of paramount importance. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of the NHS understand and sympathise with the concerns raised last month, in relation to the future of the NHS Practitioner Health service. They took swift action to ensure that it will continue to provide a full service to doctors and senior managers during 2023/24, whilst a review is carried out. This was confirmed by NHS England on 15 April 2024.

NHS England is reviewing the service as part of a wider review of its mental health and wellbeing offer to staff. They are working collaboratively with regions and integrated care systems to agree the best approach to providing mental health support for staff, including outreach for the workforce. They will confirm future arrangements once this review has been completed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department made an impact assessment of ending new registrations by secondary care staff to the NHS Practitioner Health Programme before taking that decision; and whether she plans to reinstate this support.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The mental health and wellbeing of the National Health Service workforce is of paramount importance. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of the NHS understand and sympathise with the concerns raised last month, in relation to the future of the NHS Practitioner Health service. They took swift action to ensure that it will continue to provide a full service to doctors and senior managers during 2023/24, whilst a review is carried out. This was confirmed by NHS England on 15 April 2024.

NHS England is reviewing the service as part of a wider review of its mental health and wellbeing offer to staff. They are working collaboratively with regions and integrated care systems to agree the best approach to providing mental health support for staff, including outreach for the workforce. They will confirm future arrangements once this review has been completed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with the Chief Executive of NHS England on the renewal of funding for the NHS Practitioner Health Programme; and whether she plans to continue funding that programme beyond 31 March 2025.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The mental health and wellbeing of the National Health Service workforce is of paramount importance. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of the NHS understand and sympathise with the concerns raised last month, in relation to the future of the NHS Practitioner Health service. They took swift action to ensure that it will continue to provide a full service to doctors and senior managers during 2023/24, whilst a review is carried out. This was confirmed by NHS England on 15 April 2024.

NHS England is reviewing the service as part of a wider review of its mental health and wellbeing offer to staff. They are working collaboratively with regions and integrated care systems to agree the best approach to providing mental health support for staff, including outreach for the workforce. They will confirm future arrangements once this review has been completed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the NHS Practitioner Health Service in safeguarding the mental health of NHS professionals.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The mental health and wellbeing of the National Health Service workforce is of paramount importance. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of the NHS understand and sympathise with the concerns raised last month, in relation to the future of the NHS Practitioner Health service. They took swift action to ensure that it will continue to provide a full service to doctors and senior managers during 2023/24, whilst a review is carried out. This was confirmed by NHS England on 15 April 2024.

NHS England is reviewing the service as part of a wider review of its mental health and wellbeing offer to staff. They are working collaboratively with regions and integrated care systems to agree the best approach to providing mental health support for staff, including outreach for the workforce. They will confirm future arrangements once this review has been completed.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of a removing Value Added Tax on automatic external defibrillators.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)

The cost of relieving VAT on AEDs is uncertain owing to the lack of data on purchases of these devices. Businesses are not required to provide information at a product level in their VAT returns, as this may impose an excessive administrative burden.

The Government is currently inviting community organisations to bid for funding as part of a £1 million grant scheme that expands public access to AEDs, particularly in public places where they are most needed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the British Heart Foundation and (b) other relevant organisations on the survival rate of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospital.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

Department officials met with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and NHS England in November 2023 to discuss access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and AED cabinets. Officials also attended a workshop co-hosted by the BHF and NHS England in January 2024, on the same issue.

To improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, the Government launched a new £1 million one-off fund that will expand community access to AEDs. The grant was made available from September 2023. We estimated 1,000 new defibrillators would be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as most applicants would be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully. To date, the grant has successfully delivered 2,000 AEDs.

Applications for AEDs are selected in line with criteria to provide AEDs where there is greatest need. The criteria include remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to expand (a) access to and (b) provision of public automatic external defibrillators.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

Department officials met with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and NHS England in November 2023 to discuss access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and AED cabinets. Officials also attended a workshop co-hosted by the BHF and NHS England in January 2024, on the same issue.

To improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, the Government launched a new £1 million one-off fund that will expand community access to AEDs. The grant was made available from September 2023. We estimated 1,000 new defibrillators would be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as most applicants would be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully. To date, the grant has successfully delivered 2,000 AEDs.

Applications for AEDs are selected in line with criteria to provide AEDs where there is greatest need. The criteria include remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of (a) removing Value Added Tax on defibrillators and (b) other fiscal steps to encourage provision of automatic external defibrillators.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

No recent discussions have been held regarding removing Value Added Tax on defibrillators or other fiscal steps to encourage provision of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).

As of 22 September 2023, community organisations had been able to apply for a grant to fund a life-saving defibrillator for their local area. An initial estimate of 1,000 new defibrillators were to be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.

Smarter Society received applications for 4,773 AEDs and has delivered 2,000 AEDs. This means that due to the high level of demand, Smarter Society has successfully delivered the fund and further applications are not being accepted at this time. The Department is considering how best to continue supporting organisations that want to obtain an AED in the future.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Football Association (FA) on the potential impact of ending FA Cup replays on non-Premier League teams.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Opposition Chief Whip (Commons)

David and Goliath fixtures are part of the magic of the FA Cup. They are also important for the finances of smaller clubs. While this is ultimately a matter for the football authorities, we expect the FA and Premier League to consult with the English Football League and other leagues further down the pyramid on moves such as this and reach agreements collectively.

It is now incumbent on the FA and Premier League to publicly explain this decision and what further support they can provide to affected clubs.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Football Association (FA) on consultation with the English Football League on FA Cup replays.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Opposition Chief Whip (Commons)

David and Goliath fixtures are part of the magic of the FA Cup. They are also important for the finances of smaller clubs. While this is ultimately a matter for the football authorities, we expect the FA and Premier League to consult with the English Football League and other leagues further down the pyramid on moves such as this and reach agreements collectively.

It is now incumbent on the FA and Premier League to publicly explain this decision and what further support they can provide to affected clubs.

Student protests in Bangladesh

Ending the two-child benefit cap

International Criminal Court, Gaza and the Rule of Law

46th anniversary of the murder of Altab Ali

Access to medications

International Mother Languages Day 2024

Women Against Pit Closures

County Durham Community Clothing Bank and Food Pantry

Alcohol-related deaths

Disability benefits assessment process

School Games Mark, Neville’s Cross Primary in the City of Durham

Maasai evictions in Tanzania

McClure solicitors

St Leonard’s Catholic School, City of Durham (No. 2)

Farewell to Jurgen Klopp

Energy transition treaty

Work Capability Assessment reforms

Imperial War Museums and union derecognition

Scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and arms exports to Israel

World Press Freedom Day

Diagnosing Coeliac disease

Support for families of British Palestinians

Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Public ownership of water

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