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Written Question
Blood Cancer: Diagnosis
Monday 29th September 2025

Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent engagement he has had with the blood cancer community on the significance of implementing a proxy measure for early diagnosis in blood cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department continues to support the National Health Service to diagnose and treat cancer as early and fast as possible. There have been improvements in the prognosis of blood cancer patients, with patients now living twice as long. However, we recognise that because of the damaged NHS this Government inherited, patients with cancers with non-specific symptoms such as blood cancer, are waiting too long for diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

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. However, the Department will continue to engage with blood cancer charities and key stakeholders to determine how to support the best outcomes for blood cancer patients.

At this time no current assessment has been made on the potential merits of a proxy measure for early diagnosis in unstageable blood cancers. However, we remain committed to making improvements across different cancer types and reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities. The NHS currently track early diagnosis in stageable blood cancers by combining the percentage of diagnoses within stage 1 or 2, as it would for any other stageable cancer.

Furthermore, to tackle late, emergency setting diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England with blood cancers being one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

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, 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://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/data/data-outputs/cancer-data-hub

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients in England, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will ensure patients, including those with blood cancer, have timely access to the latest treatments and technology.


Written Question
Blood Cancer: Diagnosis
Monday 29th September 2025

Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commit to engaging with the blood cancer community to agree on an appropriate measure for early diagnosis in blood cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department continues to support the National Health Service to diagnose and treat cancer as early and fast as possible. There have been improvements in the prognosis of blood cancer patients, with patients now living twice as long. However, we recognise that because of the damaged NHS this Government inherited, patients with cancers with non-specific symptoms such as blood cancer, are waiting too long for diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

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. However, the Department will continue to engage with blood cancer charities and key stakeholders to determine how to support the best outcomes for blood cancer patients.

At this time no current assessment has been made on the potential merits of a proxy measure for early diagnosis in unstageable blood cancers. However, we remain committed to making improvements across different cancer types and reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities. The NHS currently track early diagnosis in stageable blood cancers by combining the percentage of diagnoses within stage 1 or 2, as it would for any other stageable cancer.

Furthermore, to tackle late, emergency setting diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England with blood cancers being one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

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, 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://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/data/data-outputs/cancer-data-hub

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients in England, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will ensure patients, including those with blood cancer, have timely access to the latest treatments and technology.


Early Day Motion
Blood Cancer Awareness Month (1 Signatures)
16 Sep 2025
Tabled by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
That this House recognises that September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month; commits to raising awareness of blood cancers and the life-saving role of stem cell donation; encourages greater sign-ups to the UK stem cell register to improve access to suitable donors for patients in need; acknowledges the findings of Anthony …
Written Question
Self-employed: Vetting
Monday 15th September 2025

Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to enable (a) private coaches, (b) education tutors and (c) other self-employed people to apply for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate with the relevant barred list check, in line with Recommendation 4 of the Bailey Review.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

On 9 April 2025, the Government published an update on its work to tackle child sexual abuse, available on GOV.UK: Tackling Child Sexual Abuse. As part of this, by the end of 2025, we will introduce secondary legislation to create the ability for self-employed individuals, working in sensitive roles with children and vulnerable adults, to access higher-level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. This change will apply in England and Wales.


Written Question
Vetting
Monday 15th September 2025

Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to introduce a legal requirement for people undertaking regulated activity to obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate with a barred list check.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Outside of specific sectors such as health and education, where Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are mandated, the decision to carry out DBS checks lies with the employer. DBS checks apply in England and Wales; other parts of the UK have their own arrangements.

Whilst some sectors do set requirements for enhanced checks for some roles and/or settings where regulated activity takes place. Home Office legislation around regulated activity and DBS checks only provides eligibility for checks; it does not make them a requirement.

However, if an individual has been barred, then they will be committing a criminal offence if they knowingly engage, or seek to engage, in regulated activity with a vulnerable group from which they are barred. This is punishable by imprisonment and/or fine. The same is true for employers who knowingly employ somebody who is on the barred list. This is why employers are expected to undertake regular checks for those in regulated activity otherwise they risk committing that offence.


Early Day Motion
Chinook Justice Campaign (9 Signatures)
11 Sep 2025
Tabled by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
That this House recognises the need for an independent, judge-led public inquiry into the Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre on 2 June 1994 and the circumstances which led to the deaths of all 29 passengers and crew; believes that the State has a duty to ensure a …
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 03 Sep 2025
Hospitality Sector

"The shadow Minister talks about the 45 people wanting to speak. My first job was in hospitality. I want my young constituents in Lagan Valley to have the same opportunity, but does he agree that with these tax increases and not giving VAT cuts, it is so difficult for our …..."
Sorcha Eastwood - View Speech

View all Sorcha Eastwood (APNI - Lagan Valley) contributions to the debate on: Hospitality Sector

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 03 Sep 2025
Duty of Candour for Public Authorities and Legal Representation for Bereaved Families

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) for securing this important debate today. I recognise that he is a survivor and that he has had the courage of his convictions to talk about this issue. …..."
Sorcha Eastwood - View Speech

View all Sorcha Eastwood (APNI - Lagan Valley) contributions to the debate on: Duty of Candour for Public Authorities and Legal Representation for Bereaved Families

Division Vote (Commons)
2 Sep 2025 - English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill - View Vote Context
Sorcha Eastwood (APNI) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 1 Alliance No votes vs 0 Alliance Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 365 Noes - 164
Division Vote (Commons)
2 Sep 2025 - English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill - View Vote Context
Sorcha Eastwood (APNI) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 1 Alliance Aye votes vs 0 Alliance No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 167 Noes - 367