Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Information on the Department’s workforce is published monthly on the GOV.UK website, and can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dhsc-workforce-management-information
The following table shows the number of non-payroll staff recorded in the relevant Monthly Workforce Management Information categories for the Department, in line with published Monthly Workforce Management Information and excluding agencies, at the end of March in each of the last five years:
Year | Headcount |
2022 | 193 |
2023 | 58 |
2024 | 42 |
2025 | 14 |
2026 | 20 |
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 volume of preventable deaths in the UK due to respiratory diseases.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
Data held for England shows that in 2024 there were 9,609 deaths in people aged under 75 years old where the death was due to respiratory disease and considered preventable. This data is available at the following link:
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/respiratory-disease/data
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of respiratory disease and respiratory death. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Act will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom.
The Government is also improving access to earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease through community diagnostic centres, helping more people to access respiratory testing closer to home.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to guarantee access to Whole Genome Sequencing for all brain cancer patients.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
NHS England is responsible for commissioning the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) in England. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is available through the NHS GMS for all brain cancer patients where expert review indicates genomic testing is needed to support diagnosis, treatment decisions, or clinical trial access. The number of brain cancer patients receiving WGS has increased over the past 12 months.
NHS England is also exploring alternative technological approaches to brain cancer genomic testing, in order to support more timely and scalable genomic testing.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 reduce cardiology waiting lists in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across all specialties, including cardiology. As a first step towards achieving this, we delivered on our interim target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026.
Since coming into office, the Government has improved cardiology waiting times nationally, with a waiting list reduction of almost 31,000 and an 8.1% improvement in the proportion of waits below 18 weeks. The Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board has 70.5% of its cardiology waiting list below 18 weeks, over 2% better than the national average.
As set out in the Elective Reform Plan we are investing in modernisation, reforming and simplifying pathways, increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity, and empowering patients with faster and more convenient access to care. These actions will improve waiting times for all patients, and specifically cardiology as a priority speciality.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 how the needs of specialised services for cystic fibrosis will be assessed under the new proposals as set out in the NHS Modernisation Bill.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to ensuring that patients who rely on specialised services continue to receive high-quality, equitable care. Under the proposals in the NHS Modernisation Bill, specialised services will continue to be clearly defined within the statutory commissioning framework, with commissioning arrangements informed by clinical evidence, population need, national service specifications, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, quality standards, and patient outcomes.
We recognise that cystic fibrosis services are specialised in nature and, since April 2025, these services are commissioned by integrated care boards and underpinned by national service specifications, clinical commissioning policies, and NICE technology appraisal guidance.
As part of the wider programme of health and care system reform, we are clear of the need to retain the integrity of specialised services and continue to support high-quality, equitable care for patients with rare and complex conditions such as cystic fibrosis. We recognise the importance of ensuring that clinical networks, service standards, and outcomes are preserved and strengthened through any transition.
Patient and public involvement will also continue to be a core part of specialised commissioning, with the NHS Modernisation Bill strengthening responsibilities at both national and local levels to ensure patient feedback informs decision-making and service planning. Any future commissioning decisions relating to specialised services will continue to be taken with appropriate clinical advice and engagement with patients, charities and other stakeholders, with the aim of maintaining equitable access and improving outcomes for patients with rare and complex conditions.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 mprove access to dental services for for care home residents in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
We recognise that certain groups of patients may be particularly vulnerable to oral health problems and may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes, and are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs). For the South Holland and The Deepings constituency, this is the Lincolnshire ICB.
NHS England has also published a framework for maintaining the oral health of the ageing population. Further information can be found at the following link:
Domiciliary dental services are commissioned locally to support those who are unable to access high street dental practices due to medical, physical, or psychological conditions. This is largely through Community Dental Services (CDS), which carry the required expertise and equipment to treat individuals who are housebound or living in care settings. The frequency of dental checks for those living in care homes will be determined by dentists on an individual basis according to need, and care homes can contact their local CDS directly to request a domiciliary visit.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on oral health in care homes sets out a number of recommendations for care homes to help maintain and improve oral health and ensure timely access to dental treatment for their residents. The Government expects care homes to be following NICE guidance and recommendations in this area.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many political appointees have been made by his Department since July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
We have taken ‘political appointees’ to mean special advisers. A list of special advisers by Department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in Parliament. The Annual Report on Special Advisers 2026 will be published in due course.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 regional variations in the roll out of genomic testing for pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing.
Genomic testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. The NGTD sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used. Genomic testing for pancreatic cancer is available under the M219 clinical indication code and delivered by all seven NHS GLHs.
NHS England captures Patient Level Contract Monitoring data across the NHS GMS to facilitate a national approach to reporting and validating activity data and turnaround times for the genomics element of the pathway. This national approach enables NHS England to understand activity volumes, detect any backlogs, and work with the NHS GLHs to implement improvement activities.
NHS England has been undertaking a procurement of NHS GMS Lead Providers to embed a new operating model for delivery of the NHS GMS from 2026. This includes a cancer genomics clinical function, which will bring together multi profession leadership to work with partners to embed and develop cancer genomics pathways.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a horizon review to identify emerging actionable gene mutations that should be fast tracked onto the National Genomic Test Directory, prioritising (a) rare and less survivable cancers and (b) pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD). Further information on the NGTD is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/
This includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing.
NHS England regularly updates the NGTD in line with scientific and technological advances, while delivering value for money for the NHS. NHS England undertakes horizon scanning with system partners, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and a fast-track process ensures amendments that may be identified as requiring more urgent implementation are considered. Anyone can submit an application to the NGTD if the appropriate clinical and scientific evidence is in place. There is a robust and evidence-based Test Evaluation process and policy. The policy ensures that genomic testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit, and is available at the following link:
NHS England is working with partners to expand the NGTD to include more comprehensive reporting of clinical trial targets, helping embed these targets in standards of care and reporting rapid trial enrolment.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 people with disabilities are not excluded from the move to digital triage in hospitals.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
National Health Service organisations must ensure equitable access to care and avoid policies that disadvantage individuals or widen inequalities. All NHS organisations are legally obliged to not discriminate against patients or staff.
NHS England is implementing the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag (RADF) to record and share patients’ disabilities and required adjustments, supporting personalised care. Guidance and training are available for staff.
A new information standard, published 19 December 2025, supports the national rollout of the RADF. By 30 September 2026, all publicly funded health and social care providers must be able to record, share, and update reasonable adjustment data in line with patients’ changing needs.
This work is underpinned by the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which, since 2016, has required NHS and publicly funded social care providers to meet the communication needs of people with disabilities, impairments, or sensory loss. A revised AIS, published on 30 June 2025, is being implemented with NHS England support through guidance, communications, and engagement.