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 assessment he has made of the adequacy of blood cancer data.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services (NCRAS), collects information on how many people in England are diagnosed with or treated for cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. This creates a clinically rich data resource that is used to measure diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by the NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the National Health Service, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contribute to improved outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer, including those with blood cancer. The information is available at the following link:
https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/
National Disease Registration Service analysts attend quarterly meetings with United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Cancer Registries analysts to discuss any differences in the reporting of cancer data and how these can be made analogous. Annual performance indicators, including key performance indicators for haematology, are available at the following link:
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Department of Health and Social Care's press release entitled Biggest investment into hospices in a generation, published on 19 December 2024, whether any Barnett consequentials will be made available for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL).
As this funding for adult and children’s hospices is being re-allocated from within existing Department of Health and Social Care budgets there will be no additional Barnett consequentials for the devolved governments. The Barnett formula has already been applied to funding previously allocated at Autumn Budget 2024.
The Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant funding is growing in real terms in 2025-26 and the Executive’s spending review settlement for 2025-26 is the largest in real terms of any settlement since devolution. The Northern Ireland Executive will receive over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK in 2025-26, including the 2024 Northern Ireland Executive restoration financial package. That translates into over £2.5 billion more in 2025-26.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many departmental bids have been (a) received and (b) approved by the Northern Ireland Public Sector Transformation Board.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Following the establishment of an Interim Public Sector Transformation Board in May 2024, the interim Board ran a process to consider the 47 proposals which were received from Northern Ireland Departments.
The Interim Board has recommended several proposals to the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance which it considers have the greatest potential to deliver real transformation and service improvement across a number of Executive priority areas in the draft Programme for Government.
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 steps he is taking to help reduce inequalities of care for blood cancer patients.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 October 2024 to Question 5808.