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Written Question
Breast Cancer: Screening
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of NHS trusts in (a) London and (b) England that offer MRI scans for the detection of lobular breast cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s current recommendation is to offer magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast to people with invasive breast cancer, to assess tumour size if breast-conserving surgery is being considered for invasive lobular breast cancer (ILBC).

To improve detection of breast cancers including ILBC, the National Institute for Health and Care Research is currently funding a £1.3 million research project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast MRI can detect breast cancers missed by screening mammography.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Diagnosis
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of diagnosis rates for lobular breast cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made a specific assessment as invasive lobular breast cancer (ILBC) can be difficult to detect through screening. ILBC is harder to diagnose than most other breast cancer types, with mammograms less effective at detecting it, particularly in women with dense breast tissue. Therefore ILBC is often diagnosed later than other breast cancer types.

Research is showing how screening for and diagnosing ILBC can be improved to detect disease earlier and more consistently than current rates, with potential to develop more targeted treatments. To further improve the detection of breast cancers including ILBC, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is currently funding a £1.3 million research project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening mammography.

The Department continues to work closely with research funding partners such as Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, and cancer charities who fund research into new scientific discoveries including ILBC.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Research
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications for research grant funds for studies into lobular breast cancer have been submitted to the National Institute for Health and Care Research in the last 24 months.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce and support services across a range of clinical areas. NIHR expenditure on cancer research was £121.8 million in 2022/23.

The Department and NIHR are aware of lobular breast cancer and issues in detection and treatment. Lobular breast cancers can be hard to detect through screening. Relevant research includes a £1.3 million NIHR research project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening mammography. We would urge researchers working on lobular breast cancer to submit research bids for NIHR funding, including applications to fund the United Kingdom arm of international studies. Details on eligibility and how to apply for Departmental research funding through the NIHR is available and updated on the NIHR website.

Since 2021/22, there have been five research grant bids for NIHR funding into lobular breast cancer. The above project was a successful research bid, while there were four unsuccessful applications judged by a scientific panel of peers during the same period. NIHR also supports research on lobular breast cancer through its research infrastructure including Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs). Researchers at NIHR Manchester BRC have shown that women at increased risk of breast cancer who were offered enhanced screening were more likely to survive in the long-term. In addition, NIHR supports breast cancer research funded by research partners in the charity and public sectors through the NIHR’s Clinical Research Network (CRN). Over the last five years the CRN has supported 10 lobular breast cancer-related studies.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including lobular breast cancer. The Department also continues to work closely with research funding partners such as Cancer Research UK and cancer charities, who fund research into new scientific discoveries.


Written Question
Strokes: Botulinum Toxin
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of botulinum toxin treatments for stroke victims in west London.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

All National Health Service providers in North West London Integrated Care Board area, which includes the ‘west London’ area, use botulinum toxin treatments where appropriate and in line with clinical advice.


Written Question
Junior Doctors: Greater London
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help increase retention levels of junior doctors in west London.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS People Plan and the People Promise set out a comprehensive range of actions to improve staff retention. They provide a strong focus on creating a more modern, compassionate and inclusive National Health Service culture by strengthening health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, culture and leadership and flexible working.

The NHS priorities and operational planning guidance 23/24 has asked systems to refresh their 2022/23 whole system workforce plans to improve staff retention through a systematic focus on all elements of the NHS People Promise. Staff wellbeing should be strategically aligned with elective recovery plans, including workforce demand and capacity planning. In addition, the NHS Retention Programme is continuously seeking to understand why staff leave, resulting in targeted interventions to support staff to stay whilst keeping them well.

The Long Term Workforce Plan builds on the People Plan and sets out how to improve culture and leadership to ensure that up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years. This includes ensuring staff can work flexibly, have access to health and wellbeing support, and work in a team that is well led. These interventions apply across staff groups and geographical regions.


Written Question
Hypotension: Older People
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

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 help improve treatment for individuals aged over 65 with low blood pressure.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Health Check, offered to eligible people aged between 40 and 74 years old every five years, aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, and some cases of dementia. People can also now have their blood pressure tested in many community pharmacies and over 7,500 pharmacies have delivered nearly two million blood pressure checks in just over two years and we are working with NHS England to expand this service by investing up to £50 million over this and next year. In both services people will be referred to their general practitioner for further assessment and clinical treatment if required, including those with low blood pressure.

No assessment of the adequacy of treatments or advice provided by the National Health Service to individuals with low blood pressure is planned.


Written Question
Hypotension: Health Services
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

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 adequacy of (a) treatments and (b) advice provided by the NHS for individuals with low blood pressure.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Health Check, offered to eligible people aged between 40 and 74 years old every five years, aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, and some cases of dementia. People can also now have their blood pressure tested in many community pharmacies and over 7,500 pharmacies have delivered nearly two million blood pressure checks in just over two years and we are working with NHS England to expand this service by investing up to £50 million over this and next year. In both services people will be referred to their general practitioner for further assessment and clinical treatment if required, including those with low blood pressure.

No assessment of the adequacy of treatments or advice provided by the National Health Service to individuals with low blood pressure is planned.


Written Question
NHS: Disclosure of Information
Thursday 11th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to support NHS staff who act as whistle-blowers on patient safety concerns.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

We have established an independent National Guardian to help drive positive cultural change across the National Health Service so that speaking up becomes business as usual. The National Guardian has issued guidance and training and provides support and leadership to a network of over 1,000 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians throughout healthcare in England whose role is to help and support staff who want to speak up about their concerns.

Workers who want to speak up about something can also receive support from Speak Up Direct, a service the Government has set up to provide workers with advice and support about speaking up.

In 2018, the Government enhanced legal protections available for whistle blowers to prohibit discrimination against job applicants on the grounds that they have spoken up in the past. This complements longstanding legal provisions that protect workers against detrimental treatment for speaking up.


Written Question
Medicine: Education
Wednesday 10th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that medical students who study in the UK have access to NHS foundation jobs at the end of their studies.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) facilitates the operation and continuing development of the UK Foundation Programme. The UKFPO is jointly funded and governed by NHS England and the four United Kingdom Health Departments.

The UKFPO confirmed on 1 September 2023 that all eligible applicants in the application process will be allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme in 2024. UKFPO estimates the UK number of eligible applicants to be approximately 9000 for 2024.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which covers the workforce, education and training in England contained a commitment to ensure there is adequate growth in foundation placement capacity, as students begin to graduate from the expanded number of medical school places in England, and a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the NHS in England in the future. We will work with stakeholders to ensure this growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Future workforce growth in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including future foundation programme and speciality training places is a matter for each of the Devolved Administrations.


Written Question
Medicine: Education
Wednesday 10th January 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase the number of available training places on the Foundation Programme for medical students who studied in the UK.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) facilitates the operation and continuing development of the UK Foundation Programme. The UKFPO is jointly funded and governed by NHS England and the four United Kingdom Health Departments.

The UKFPO confirmed on 1 September 2023 that all eligible applicants in the application process will be allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme in 2024. UKFPO estimates the UK number of eligible applicants to be approximately 9000 for 2024.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which covers the workforce, education and training in England contained a commitment to ensure there is adequate growth in foundation placement capacity, as students begin to graduate from the expanded number of medical school places in England, and a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the NHS in England in the future. We will work with stakeholders to ensure this growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Future workforce growth in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including future foundation programme and speciality training places is a matter for each of the Devolved Administrations.