Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 raise public awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults to improve early detection rates.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 unique (a) medical, (b) psychological and (c) social needs of (i) teenagers and (ii) young adults with cancer are included within the NHS Long-Term Plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 (a) increase the use of rapid diagnostic centres and (b) otherwise help improve early diagnosis rates for (i) teenagers and (ii) young adults with cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer have consistent access to specialist psychological support; and how such plans will be implemented as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 help tackle barriers to (a) teenagers and (b) young adults accessing clinical trials; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this on UK life sciences.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To maximise our potential to be a world leader and develop a more competitive, efficient and accessible clinical research system, the Department is committed to implementing recommendations from the Lord O'Shaughnessy independent review of commercial clinical trials in full.
The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for teenagers and young adults. For example, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department, provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. Young adults aged 18 or over, can consent to be matched to and contacted about relevant studies.
The Department through the NIHR also funds research infrastructure provides research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services, necessary for the delivery of research nationally, including studies involving teenagers and young adults.
There is currently no assessment planned on the impact of barriers to teenagers and young adults accessing clinical trials on life sciences in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 (a) tackle workforce shortages in respiratory care and (b) ensure (i) GPs and (ii) their teams have access to (A) training and (B) accreditation for (1) spirometry and (2) other diagnostic tests.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills, including for respiratory care, will be central to this vision.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) sets the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensures it remains up to date. All GPs must cover the curriculum before they are able to pass the examination to become a member of the RCGP and to work independently as a GP.
NHS England provides a wide range of resources to the NHS via the eLearning for Healthcare platform, including a respiratory diseases toolkit on the prevention and management of respiratory conditions, and diagnostic tests such as spirometry.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any consultation took place between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and (a) local stakeholders, (b) elected officials, (c) the police and (d) community organisations prior to the decision to relocate the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:
- the UTC provider;
- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and
- West Midlands Police.
The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.
The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.
Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to to help establish alternative urgent care facilities in Birmingham Erdington constituency, in the context of the emergency relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:
- the UTC provider;
- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and
- West Midlands Police.
The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.
The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.
Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to help mitigate the impact of increased travel requirements for patients following the relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:
- the UTC provider;
- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and
- West Midlands Police.
The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.
The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.
Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 impact of the emergency relocation of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre to Good Hope Hospital on patient access to urgent treatment services in Birmingham Erdington constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:
- the UTC provider;
- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and
- West Midlands Police.
The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.
The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.
Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.