Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) the number of blood cancer patients diagnosed via Non-Specific Symptom pathways and (b) other data on the performance of such pathways.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The capturing of non-specific symptom pathway outcomes was introduced in July 2023. From July 2023 to October 2024, 263 patients have been diagnosed via non-specific symptom pathways. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/supplementary-information/
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services, collects information on how many people in England have cancer.
Blood cancer is included as a distinct category in the NDRS, labelled haematological neoplasms. The NDRS’ website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many blood cancer patients have been diagnosed via Non-Specific Symptom pathways in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The capturing of non-specific symptom pathway outcomes was introduced in July 2023. From July 2023 to October 2024, 263 patients have been diagnosed via non-specific symptom pathways. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/supplementary-information/
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services, collects information on how many people in England have cancer.
Blood cancer is included as a distinct category in the NDRS, labelled haematological neoplasms. The NDRS’ website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will (a) introduce emergency presentation as a proxy staging measure for non-stageable blood cancers and (b) apply a corresponding national target to (i) measure and (ii) support reduction of late diagnosis of blood cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to introduce a specific proxy staging measure or a corresponding national target to support the earlier diagnosis of blood cancers. To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services, collects information on how many people in England have blood cancer, labelled as haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. This data supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contributes to improved outcomes, including for blood cancer patients. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/
As part of the Government’s five long-term missions, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, and will be co-designed with the public, staff, and patients. I would encourage you to engage via our online portal, which is available at the following link:
https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been clear that there should be a National Cancer Plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be. We will provide updates on this in due course, including on how we plan to engage blood cancer partners.
I met with the Hon. Member for Poole and Blood Cancer UK, a member of the Blood Cancer Alliance, on 22 October 2024 to discuss the UK Blood Cancer Action Plan.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet the Blood Cancer Alliance to discuss the need to include specific measures to improve blood cancer (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) care in the forthcoming cancer strategy.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to introduce a specific proxy staging measure or a corresponding national target to support the earlier diagnosis of blood cancers. To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services, collects information on how many people in England have blood cancer, labelled as haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. This data supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contributes to improved outcomes, including for blood cancer patients. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/
As part of the Government’s five long-term missions, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, and will be co-designed with the public, staff, and patients. I would encourage you to engage via our online portal, which is available at the following link:
https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been clear that there should be a National Cancer Plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be. We will provide updates on this in due course, including on how we plan to engage blood cancer partners.
I met with the Hon. Member for Poole and Blood Cancer UK, a member of the Blood Cancer Alliance, on 22 October 2024 to discuss the UK Blood Cancer Action Plan.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 health benefits of improving access to cycles for people on low incomes.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that reducing physical inactivity is beneficial for everyone and evidence suggests that cycling has positive physical and mental health benefits. Public Health England’s cycling and walking evidence review, published in 2018, found mixed evidence for whether increasing cycling in deprived socioeconomic status groups is more beneficial than in the general population. This review is available at the following link:
The Department of Health and Social Care is currently working with the Department for Transport, and Active Travel England, on an updated evidence review, which will further examine active travel’s impact on mental health, physical health, and health inequalities. Findings are expected by mid-2025.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 vaccinate children against chicken pox.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a universal varicella chickenpox vaccination programme be introduced as part of the routine childhood schedule. The JCVI statement is available at the following link:
Ministers have accepted the JCVI recommendation, and the Department is in discussions with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency on the potential implementation of the recommendation.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will suspend permission for non-surgical filler injections for gluteal fat grafting procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is currently considering what steps may need to be taken in relation to the safety of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including filler injections. The Government will set out its position at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to reduce the waiting list for ADHD diagnosis.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England is establishing to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD and to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.
Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to increase the ratio of healthcare assistants to midwives in stand-alone midwife-led units maternity units.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made regarding a policy to increase the ratio of healthcare assistants to midwives in stand-alone midwife-led maternity units.
NHS England have committed to ensuring that the right numbers of the right staff are available to provide the best care for women and babies through regular local workforce planning.
The Government recognises that there are serious issues within maternity services and we will learn from the findings from recent inquiries and investigations such as that carried out at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and from the emerging lessons from the ongoing inquiry at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The Government’s policy is that the National Health Service as a whole is in crisis, and my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned an investigation into the NHS, led by Professor Lord Darzi, which will focus on assessing patient access to healthcare, the quality of healthcare being provided and the overall performance of the health system.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many standalone midwife-led units are operating in England; and what the names of those units are.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The latest data available to NHS England indicates that there are 25 midwifery led units (MLUs) operating in England. The following table lists each unit, as well as their provider:
Midwifery led unit name | Provider name |
Samuel Johnson Freestanding birth unit | University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust |
Netherbrook | University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust |
Dewsbury Hospital | Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
Berwick Maternity Unit | Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust |
Hillcrest Maternity Unit | Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust |
Hexham Maternity Unit | Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust |
The Friarage | South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
South Tyneside Midwifery-led Birthing Unit | South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust |
Blackburn Birth Centre | East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust |
Rossendale Birth Centre | East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust |
Helme Chase Midwifery Unit | University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust |
Maidstone Birthing Centre | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust |
Crowborough Birthing Centre | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust |
Wallingford MLU | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Wantage MLU | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Horton MLU | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Cotswold MLU | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Aveta Birth Centre | Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Stroud Maternity Unit | Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Tiverton Birth Centre | Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust |
Paulton Maternity Unit | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust |
Frome birthing Centre | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust |
Chippenham Birthing Centre | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust |
Trowbridge maternity unit | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust |
Ashcombe Birthing Unit | University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust |