Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 ensure that men at risk of prostate cancer are able to access prostate specific antigen tests.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Currently men who have symptoms that could be associated with prostate cancer may be offered a test called the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test, which looks at levels of PSA in the blood in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cancer recognition and referral guidance. However, due to the poor ability of PSA to predict cancer, the PSA test is not recommended as a screening tool for healthy men with no symptoms. This includes those at higher risk of prostate cancer.
This is because the high level of inaccuracy could lead to unnecessary tests that carry risks of life-changing harm, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, as well as a smaller but serious risk of sepsis. Additionally, some prostate cancers may not produce elevated PSA levels, leading to false-negative results that provide deceptive reassurance.
Instead, men should be encouraged to know the symptoms of prostate cancer and look out for changes in their body and seek advice from a general practitioner if these changes occur.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is issuing guidance to GPs encouraging them to discuss a PSA test with men at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The UK National Screening Committee is carrying out an evidence review of prostate cancer screening which includes looking at the evidence for targeted screening of specific high-risk groups. This will determine whether a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test-based screening programme for high-risk groups could provide more good than harm.
Based on the current evidence, the guidance to general practices is not to proactively offer a PSA to men without symptoms as the high level of inaccuracy could lead to unnecessary tests that carry risks of life-changing harm, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, as well as a smaller but serious risk of sepsis. Additionally, some prostate cancers may not produce elevated PSA levels, leading to false-negative results that provide deceptive reassurance.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 improve rates of early detection of sepsis in (a) hospitals and (b) primary care settings.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
In hospitals, clinicians are supported to recognise sepsis by using the National Early Warning Score, now used in 99% of acute trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England. Several trusts have also implemented the National Paediatric Early Warning Score to support the recognition of sepsis in children.
NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis in primary care. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts.
To support clinical staff in primary and secondary care settings, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they will take to tackle drug-resistant sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Over 1 million people die every year from drug-resistant sepsis. The UK Government is supporting action, through its multilateral, bilateral and research investments, to combat antimicrobial drug resistance. This includes support to the Global Fund and Gavi. The UK's Fleming Fund programme is also strengthening drug-resistance surveillance systems, building more than 260 surveillance centres, in eleven partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We must continue to scale up global efforts and that is why the UK is working to secure an ambitious agreement at the High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance on 26 September.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the criteria for ambulance dispatch to ensure that suspected sepsis cases are prioritised; and if he will take steps to ensure that the NHS guidelines on (a) calling 999 and (b) going to A&E are strictly adhered to.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Calls to 999 are triaged to ensure the sickest patients get the fastest response. Suspected sepsis is generally allocated a Category 2 response. This category of response is for emergency incidents that require urgent assessment and rapid transportation.
The Government has committed to returning ambulance response time performance to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. As a first step the Health Secretary has commissioned Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of National Health Service performance, which is due to report in September 2024. We will continue to support the public in accessing the NHS treatment and advice that best meets their needs.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS is taking steps with (a) technology developers and (b) academia to help accelerate the introduction of innovative medical solutions.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
In February 2023, the Department published the MedTech strategy which outlined how we will work with key stakeholders, including technology developers and academia, to ensure the health and social care system can reliably access safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies. To accelerate the introduction of innovative medical solutions, we are working with stakeholders at pace to implement solutions to streamline and join-up the innovation adoption pathway, from providing clear signals to industry on the innovation we need, to reforming regulation, comparative assessment, and with clearer procurement pathways.
In October 2023, the Government announced £30 million of investment in the Health Tech Adoption and Acceleration Fund. The fund is supporting integrated care systems to invest in the latest technology to help cut waiting lists, speed up diagnosis, and deliver new and improved ways to treat patients. Thanks to this fund, tens of thousands of patients at risk of kidney disease will be able to get tested from the comfort of their own homes. In February 2024, the Government announced eight innovative tech companies who will be supported to bring their devices to market through the Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP). One of the technologies allows chemotherapy patients to self-test at home, using a finger-prick blood test, for neutropenic sepsis. Another is a smartphone app that delivers exercises, cognitive behaviour therapy, and targeted physical activity in a personally customisable format to help patients manage multiple sclerosis.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 encourage innovation in the development of healthcare technology for at home use.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
In February 2023, the Department published the MedTech strategy which outlined how we will work with key stakeholders, including technology developers and academia, to ensure the health and social care system can reliably access safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies. To accelerate the introduction of innovative medical solutions, we are working with stakeholders at pace to implement solutions to streamline and join-up the innovation adoption pathway, from providing clear signals to industry on the innovation we need, to reforming regulation, comparative assessment, and with clearer procurement pathways.
In October 2023, the Government announced £30 million of investment in the Health Tech Adoption and Acceleration Fund. The fund is supporting integrated care systems to invest in the latest technology to help cut waiting lists, speed up diagnosis, and deliver new and improved ways to treat patients. Thanks to this fund, tens of thousands of patients at risk of kidney disease will be able to get tested from the comfort of their own homes. In February 2024, the Government announced eight innovative tech companies who will be supported to bring their devices to market through the Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP). One of the technologies allows chemotherapy patients to self-test at home, using a finger-prick blood test, for neutropenic sepsis. Another is a smartphone app that delivers exercises, cognitive behaviour therapy, and targeted physical activity in a personally customisable format to help patients manage multiple sclerosis.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance across the world also works to end preventable deaths linked to unclean birth environments.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK's Ending Preventable Deaths campaign takes a multisectoral approach which includes tackling antimicrobial resistance, alongside strengthening health systems, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and broader determinants like nutrition, climate and water, sanitation and hygiene. Neonatal sepsis is a particular concern in the context of antimicrobial resistance and as such is where the UK will look to particularly align our work on water sanitation and hygiene, with our work on antimicrobial resistance and the health of mothers and newborns.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 trends in the number of incidences of sepsis in the last five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department and NHS England do not hold information centrally on the incidences of sepsis, and have made no assessment of the trends. There is a lack of reliable estimates of the incidence and prevalence of sepsis due to a lack of consistency in the definitions used to describe sepsis, and differences in coding between professionals and organisations. Despite this, the focus on sepsis in recent years means there is now much better awareness and improved clinical recognition of sepsis symptoms.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does publish data on the number of death registrations where sepsis is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales between 2001 and 2022, as the data for 2023 has yet to be published. The following table shows the number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales in each of the last five years:
Year | Number of Deaths |
2018 | 23,185 |
2019 | 21,458 |
2020 | 19,324 |
2021 | 21,947 |
2022 | 25,542 |
The Department works with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to monitor sepsis death data. It is difficult to attribute the increase in the number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate from 2020 to 2022 to a single cause, as the incidences of infection and reasons for acute deterioration are complex and multifactorial. It is also possible that the increase reflects a greater awareness of sepsis and improved coding and recording of deaths due to sepsis.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of hospital-acquired sepsis there were in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department and NHS England do not centrally hold information on hospital acquired sepsis, although incidents of this may be held by local providers. The Office for National Statistics publishes the number of death registrations where sepsis is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, in England and Wales. The following table shows the number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales, in each of the last ten years until 2022:
Year | Number of Deaths |
2013 | 22,967 |
2014 | 22,826 |
2015 | 24,784 |
2016 | 24,973 |
2017 | 23,709 |
2018 | 23,185 |
2019 | 21,458 |
2020 | 19,324 |
2021 | 21,947 |
2022 | 25,542 |
The figures for 2023 have not yet been published.