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 tackle shortages of molybdenum-technetium generators.

The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve the shortages of radioisotopes, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. The affected radioisotopes are mainly used for diagnosing cancers, including prostate and breast cancer, and are also used for the imaging of organ function in scans, including for the heart. Supply of the affected molybdenum-technetium generators has improved significantly during week of 11 November.

The Department has worked in close partnership with National Health Service specialists from across the UK, suppliers, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, the UK Radiopharmacy Group, and the devolved administrations, including Scotland, to ensure that critical patients are prioritised, and that the limited supply is shared equitably between hospitals and trusts across the UK.

The Department issued a National Patient Safety alert which provided comprehensive management advice for NHS clinicians across the UK on how to manage and prioritise patients affected by these shortages. The guidance covers actions for health boards in the devolved nations, including on the coordination of mutual aid arrangements and escalation routes where issues are identified.