Department of Health and Social Care

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.

NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.

The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications.

TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.

NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.

The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications.

TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.

NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.

The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications.

TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.

NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.

The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications.

TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

We recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that every patient receives fast and early diagnosis, including patients with harder to stage cancers, such as myeloma.

The National Health Service has fully implemented 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.

Diagnosing cancer earlier is a key focus of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier.

The introduction of the new statutory levy on gambling operators, which came into effect in April 2025, guarantees sustainable funding for the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms which is entirely independent of the influence of the gambling industry.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), as the gambling harms prevention commissioner in England under the levy, acknowledges the role that public health and awareness-raising campaigns can play in preventing health harms, including harms associated with gambling.

OHID is working at pace to develop its gambling harms prevention programme, working closely with the gambling harms prevention commissioners in Scotland and Wales. OHID is considering the role of prevention campaigns in the future prevention programme at a national and Great Britain-wide level and will consider the reach of such activity across specific populations such as rural and remote communities. Further details will be confirmed before the end of this financial year.

This Government is committed to ensuring our workforce is fit for purpose, including to diagnose and treat cancer. As of August 2025, there are almost 70% more staff in the key cancer professions of clinical oncology, gastro-enterology, medical oncology, histopathology, clinical radiology, diagnostic and therapeutic radiography than in 2010. There are also more doctors working in clinical oncology and more radiology doctors compared to last year.

We will work with the university sector and colleagues across Government to ensure that we train the doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals that we need and maximise the contribution that our great research institutions make to the country. Over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out that to deliver a workforce fit for the future we need a new, sustainable approach to workforce planning. Our 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out action to how we will create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service for patients when and where they need it.

Furthermore, the National Cancer Plan will look at how we can reform the current workforce to utilise it as effectively as possible and to provide a workforce able to meet cancer demand of the future. The National Cancer Plan will align with the 10 Year Workforce Plan to take into consideration expected demand for cancer over the next ten years. By ensuring we have the necessary staff with the right skills, we will support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster and improve patients’ experience across the system.

The National Health Service is continuing to improve stroke services, but we recognise there is more to do.

The National Stroke Service Model and the National service model for an integrated community stroke service set out an evidence-based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey.

The NHS is committed to delivering thrombolysis to twice as many patients through the Thrombolysis in Acute Stroke Care (TASC) initiative. The TASC initiative unites stroke teams to use quality improvement methods to reduce delays and deliver faster, safer, more patient-centred care.

The Department does not hold data on NHS Health Checks broken down by sex or by parliamentary constituencies. Local authorities, who are responsible for commissioning the NHS Health Check, may hold this information locally.

The NHS Health Check should be offered once every five years to eligible people, which means if everyone expected was offered a check and completed one, we would expect 20% of the total eligible population to receive a check each year.

The following table shows the proportion of the total five-year eligible population who had an NHS Health Check in each local authority in the East of England in 2024-2025:

To improve access to the programme we are piloting an online NHS Health Check so that people can undertake a check at a time and place convenient to them.

We know that cancer incidence, including mouth cancer incidence, is increasing. We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart, and it will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, we are now delivering additional checks, tests and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.

Additionally, to help increase early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or their symptoms have escalated.

We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure we have a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.

Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.

We know that cancer incidence, including mouth cancer incidence, is increasing. We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart, and it will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, we are now delivering additional checks, tests and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.

Additionally, to help increase early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or their symptoms have escalated.

We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure we have a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.

Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.

Cutting elective care waiting times, including for cardiology services, is a key priority for the Government. The national waiting list for cardiology services has fallen by 59,307 since this Government came into office, with an increase in the proportion waiting less than 18 weeks, from 60.2% to 62.4%. But we know there is much more work to be done.

Cardiology is identified as a top priority for reform in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. Specific actions being taken to reform cardiology include increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations such as palpitation, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through “straight to test” pathways.

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026. The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £600 million in the October statement to reduce diagnostic waiting lists, supporting new and expanded community diagnostic centres (CDCs), upgraded hospital diagnostic equipment, and digital diagnostic capabilities. NHS England's digital investments, including using artificial intelligence for cardiac imaging, have accelerated cardiology test reporting. From July 2024 to September 2025, CDCs performed 312,049 echocardiography and 281,869 electrocardiography tests, with many centres adopting innovative cardiac pathways to speed diagnosis and treatment, including for women.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. We know that women deserve better, which is why we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues, including cardiology, which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further. That is why we are updating the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.

Cutting elective care waiting times, including for cardiology services, is a key priority for the Government. The national waiting list for cardiology services has fallen by 59,307 since this Government came into office, with an increase in the proportion waiting less than 18 weeks, from 60.2% to 62.4%. But we know there is much more work to be done.

Cardiology is identified as a top priority for reform in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. Specific actions being taken to reform cardiology include increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations such as palpitation, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through “straight to test” pathways.

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026. The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £600 million in the October statement to reduce diagnostic waiting lists, supporting new and expanded community diagnostic centres (CDCs), upgraded hospital diagnostic equipment, and digital diagnostic capabilities. NHS England's digital investments, including using artificial intelligence for cardiac imaging, have accelerated cardiology test reporting. From July 2024 to September 2025, CDCs performed 312,049 echocardiography and 281,869 electrocardiography tests, with many centres adopting innovative cardiac pathways to speed diagnosis and treatment, including for women.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. We know that women deserve better, which is why we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues, including cardiology, which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further. That is why we are updating the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.

I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.

I recognise many of the concerns that campaigners have raised regarding the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Their input will shape our ongoing consideration of reforms to the scheme.

In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.

I will keep Parliament updated, as appropriate.

I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.

I recognise many of the concerns that campaigners have raised regarding the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Their input will shape our ongoing consideration of reforms to the scheme.

In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.

I will keep Parliament updated, as appropriate.

I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.

I recognise many of the concerns that campaigners have raised regarding the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Their input will shape our ongoing consideration of reforms to the scheme.

In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.

I will keep Parliament updated, as appropriate.

We are committed to working with NHS England to ensure health communications are as clear as possible and appropriately reflect sex as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. This includes communications about pregnancy and breast feeding.

In April, in its judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers, the Supreme Court announced that it had reached a unanimous decision that the terms ‘man’, ‘woman’, and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. We welcome the clarity this brings.

We recognise that there will be occasions when National Health Service providers want to specifically acknowledge patients with differing characteristics, including the transgender community. This may mean that trusts and providers decide to use additive language, for example “women and trans men”, to ensure health communications reach the largest audience.

The Department’s premises have 187 single sex cubicles, 62 urinals, and 11 non-gendered universal toilets which are individual self-contained lockable toilet rooms which contain a toilet, a washbasin, and hand-drying facilities. This is in addition to 34 wheelchair accessible toilets.

General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for patients with persistent throat symptoms. They are expected to carry out an initial assessment, rule out common causes, and identify any “red flag” symptoms that require urgent referral to specialists.

We expect GPs to have regard to guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) and others when diagnosing or referring patients with persistent throat problems, as these set out evidence-based standards and best practice for assessment and referral. Relevant advice appears in guideline NG84, titled Acute sore throat antimicrobial prescribing, and guideline NG12, titled Suspected cancer referral criteria, as well as Clinical Knowledge Summaries for related conditions. NICE recommendations do not override the individual responsibility of health professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of each patient, in consultation with the patient or their carer.

Healthcare professionals are expected to maintain their clinical knowledge as part of their continuing professional development. NICE guidance underpins this by providing evidence-based recommendations and structured learning resources that help them maintain up-to-date knowledge and improve the quality of patient care.

Our 10-Year Health Plan highlights the risk that these medicines will be accessed by those who can pay over those with the highest clinical need. The plan makes a commitment to expand access on the National Health Service through innovative industry partnerships, delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients. Continuing to make these medicines more widely available on the NHS will help reduce inequalities in access.

NHS access is being prioritised for those with the highest clinical need first. NHS England has worked with clinical experts, integrated care boards, patient and public representatives, healthcare professionals, charities, and royal colleges on its prioritisation approach, which is set out in its interim commissioning guidance and available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interim-commissioning-guidance-implementation-of-the-nice-technology-appraisal-ta1026-and-the-nice-funding-variation-for-tirzepatide-mounjaro-for-the-management-of-obesity/

We do not currently have plans to make these medicines available to those who have fallen below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication privately. For patients prescribed these medicines by the NHS, they will continue to receive these medicines for as long as clinically appropriate.

For those not currently eligible for weight loss medications, there are a variety of weight management services provided by the NHS and local government. These range from multi-component behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities.

The funding for Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses, and milk. It can also be put towards the cost of infant formula.

The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review and in April 2026 the value of the weekly payments will increase by 10%.

There are currently no plans by the Department to expand fresh-freezing facilities for brain cancer tissue. Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.

Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh tissue samples and for the snap-freezing of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.

In the new year the Department will publish the National Cancer Plan. The plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as research and innovation. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for all patient groups, including those with brain cancer.

We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer. That is why we are investing an additional £889 million in general practices (GPs), bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure we have a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country, including those with mouth cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for making decisions on whether its guidance should be updated in the light of new evidence.

NICE guidelines represent best practice and healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account in making decisions on the care and treatment of individual patients. NICE currently has no plans to update the guideline that covers the assessment and management of mouth cancer. It will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school and dental school places on an annual basis. For the 2025/26 academic year, the OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places and 809 for dental school places. The latest published medical and dental intake data is available on the OfS website. The number of dental and medical school places taken is as follows:

• 8,045 medicine places; and
• 810 dentistry places.

The data above is initial data from 2024 and so may change. General practice training places are set out annually by NHS England.

Undergraduate training places for nurses, nurse associates, midwives, and pharmacists are not centrally commissioned by the Government. Instead, they are determined by local employers and education providers who decide the number of learners they admit based on learner demand and provider capacity funding. The number of acceptances for nursing and midwifery is:

• 18,640 for nursing; and
• 3,390 for midwifery.

The above data is from 2025, was taken 28 days after A-level results day, and is not final data. Further information is available on the UCAS website. The number of entrants to pharmacy courses was 3,880, as per data from 2023. Further information is available on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website, in an online only format. Data is not available for nurse associates

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

NHS England is in regular contact with the vaccine manufacturers to discuss the available supply and can confirm that stock is still available for community pharmacies and general practices to order. Sufficient volumes of flu vaccine have been delivered to be able to vaccinate all eligible groups of people.

Initial orders are placed well before the start of the campaign, but supplies continue to be available throughout the season to be ordered as required. Manufacturers have confirmed that they have flu vaccine available and in stock, should sites want to order additional stock.

Neither the Department or NHS England have any plans to introduce an activity-based payment scheme for all community and mental health services. However, it may be appropriate to introduce activity-based payment for some community and mental health services in the future.

NHS England is developing standard currencies for community and mental health services that can be used as the basis for future payment models. The development of community and mental health tariffs will be dependent on the availability of good quality costing and activity data.

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care, including that provided by adult hospices, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We are supporting hospices in England with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

Irrespective of whether the law changes on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative and end of life care.

Actions taken to tackle higher rates of resistant infections in more deprived communities include a health inequalities outcome within the latest United Kingdom antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029/confronting-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029

Commitments under this outcome aim to improve data reporting on health inequalities in AMR and antibiotic use, publish a toolkit of resources that supports organisations to develop interventions, and implement and evaluate interventions to address inequalities in AMR.

NHS England encourages regions and integrated care boards to focus on building trust to increase the uptake of vaccinations. They work with community and faith leaders particularly in areas of high deprivation, using a make every contact count approach.

This information is not held centrally or in the format requested.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament has been brought forward as a Private Members’ Bill. It is not a piece of Government legislation, and the Government has taken a neutral position on assisted dying and the passage of the bill.

Irrespective of any legislation on assisted dying, everyone should have access to high-quality, compassionate care through to the end of their life, and this will remain a priority for the Government.

Data on waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment commencement are publicly available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

The figures are broken down by NHS trust rather than by constituency.

The two main NHS trusts in Ely and East Cambridgeshire are the Cambridge University Hospitals Trust and the North West Anglia Trust.

The UK Rare Diseases Framework was published following the National Conversation on Rare Diseases, which received nearly 6,300 responses. This helped identify the four priorities of the framework in tackling rare diseases: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatment, and drugs.

The Government remains committed to improving the lives of those living with rare conditions, and will be publishing the next England Rare Diseases Action Plan for rare disease day in 2026, as in previous years. We recognise that despite the progress that has been made there remains considerable unmet need for people living with rare conditions. We are carefully considering the future of the UK Rare Disease Framework and will be announcing our intentions in due course.

We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer. To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, we are now delivering additional checks, tests, and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres. As the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, the National Health Service in England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week since the start of this administration.

Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year, will have patients at its heart, and it will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates, including for mouth cancer.

No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the National Health Service of treating children with drug-resistant epilepsy who do not respond to conventional medications. A detailed costing exercise is only usually undertaken where there is a new evidence-based treatment to potentially introduce.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with epilepsy, including the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology.

The Department funds research into epilepsy via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has funded a range of ongoing and completed epilepsy research, including research into the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation as an alternative treatment for children and adults living with drug-resistant epilepsy, and research on implementing ketogenic diet therapy for children and young people with epilepsy.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including alternative treatments for children with drug-resistant epilepsy. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Everyone in the National Health Service is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks.

Between 1997 and 2010, national service frameworks were a clinically led approach to developing guidance that supported sustained improvement in major condition outcomes, including by narrowing inequality and reducing unwarranted variation. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reintroduce and modernise this approach. These modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery.

Modern service frameworks will work with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and others to identify the best evidenced interventions that would support progress towards the outcome goal and set standards on how those interventions should be used.

Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

Plans to introduce a modern service framework for cancer will be considered as part of the development of the National Cancer Plan.

On 8 October 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence to gather views on a range of topics related to tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products, including the implementation of the proposed licensing scheme for the retail sale of these products. The Call for Evidence asks detailed questions, including on factors that should be taken into consideration when making decisions on the granting of a premises licence, such as the location and density of retailers. We welcome feedback on the questions in the Call for Evidence.

The evidence gathered will be used to inform the development of the licensing scheme, and we will launch a subsequent consultation on our policy proposals before bringing forward secondary legislation. The Call for Evidence is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to exploring measures to regulate access to no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) products in line with other alcoholic beverages. This policy is being pursued as alcohol substitute drinks are only intended for consumption by adults.

Department officials are progressing work to take forward this commitment and are in the process of scoping out the full details. We will update stakeholders in due course.

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, due to both the immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.

Taking cannabis in any form is risky. For instance, vaping supposed tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may increase the risk of users unwittingly consuming more dangerous substances like synthetic cannabinoids. Where there are incidents of synthetic cannabinoids in THC vapes, the local authority public health team and the police force should take action with partners to warn and protect their communities. The Department is tracking reports nationally and its regional teams are providing localised warnings and support.

The Department has recently launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the risks posed by new drug trends and products, including the adulteration of ‘THC’ vapes with other drugs like synthetic cannabinoids.

Furthermore, statutory guidance on relationships, sex, and health education requires all primary and secondary schools to ensure that pupils know the key facts and risks associated with alcohol and drug use, as well as how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to develop lesson plans on alcohol and drugs and has commissioned an update of the resources to be published later this year.

The Government will continue to work with our partners to discourage drug use and to alert people, particularly young people, to the potential dangers of cannabis. The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness, particularly for young people and parents. FRANK offers easy to read information on the risks of using cannabis and basic harm reduction advice. Information on cannabis is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis(opens%20in%20a%20new%20tab)

Eligibility for a free National Health Service flu vaccine is guided, each year, by advice and recommendations from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and is kept under regular review. The aim of the flu vaccination programme is to protect those most at risk from serious illness and hospitalisation.

Those eligible to receive a free flu vaccine on the NHS this autumn are:

• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025
• children with certain long-term health conditions (aged 6 months to less than 18 years)
• primary school aged children (from reception to Year 6)
• secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
• all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to under 18 years
• everyone aged 65 years and over
• individuals aged 18 to under 65 with certain long-term health conditions
• care home residents
• carers in receipt of carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• those living with people who are immunocompromised
• frontline health and social care workers

The NHS website contains further information on eligibility, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/

Anyone who feels unsure about their eligibility (including those who work with vulnerable people in a voluntary capacity) can consult their general practitioner, practice nurse, or pharmacist. Pregnant women can also consult their midwife.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Evidence from Wales and Northern Ireland demonstrates that mandatory display has improved transparency, which encourages businesses to achieve better levels of compliance with hygiene requirements.

Introducing a statutory scheme in England, with a mandatory display of ratings at premises and online, would require primary legislation and the securing of a suitable legislative vehicle and parliamentary time. Ministers will consider the options in due course, supported by the FSA.

In the meantime, the FSA is working with its local authority partners to maintain and improve the impact and benefits of this highly successful public health scheme.

The Government remains committed to giving every child the best start in life. Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality.

The infant formula regulations set robust nutritional and compositional standards which mean that all infant formula for sale in the United Kingdom are suitable for meeting the nutritional requirements of babies regardless of the price or brand. The regulations restrict the inappropriate marketing and promotion of infant formula that can mislead consumers and may discourage breastfeeding.

The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into the UK’s infant formula and follow-on formula market. We have been working closely with the devolved administrations to consider its recommendations. We will respond in due course.

To improve the provision of services for the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes in the Hornsey and Friern Barnet constituency, the North Central London Integrated Care System has commissioned a long-term conditions service. This supports the identification of individuals with diabetes and at high risk of a worsening condition, personalised care planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Community-based support includes diabetes specialist nurses, virtual clinics, and education for patients with diabetes who are starting GLP-1 medications or insulin therapy.

In north central London, the National Diabetes Prevention Programme is delivered by Living Well Taking Control. The programme offers a structured nine-month behavioural intervention designed to support individuals with diabetes in adopting healthier eating habits, increasing physical activity, achieving weight reduction, and sustaining long-term lifestyle changes. Those needing insulin and other medicines to manage diabetes are also entitled to free prescriptions.

To improve the provision of services for the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes in the Hornsey and Friern Barnet constituency, the North Central London Integrated Care System has commissioned a long-term conditions service. This supports the identification of individuals with diabetes and at high risk of a worsening condition, personalised care planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Community-based support includes diabetes specialist nurses, virtual clinics, and education for patients with diabetes who are starting GLP-1 medications or insulin therapy.

In north central London, the National Diabetes Prevention Programme is delivered by Living Well Taking Control. The programme offers a structured nine-month behavioural intervention designed to support individuals with diabetes in adopting healthier eating habits, increasing physical activity, achieving weight reduction, and sustaining long-term lifestyle changes. Those needing insulin and other medicines to manage diabetes are also entitled to free prescriptions.

There are currently over 200,000 people living with diabetes in England who benefit from real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)

In order to help integrated care boards (ICBs) improve access to CGM to eligible people, data is now collected as part of the National Diabetes Audit. NHS England routinely publishes this data in the NDA Core Quarterly dashboard in 2025/26, which provides the data insights ICBs require, including data on CGM uptake, variation, and health inequalities. Further information on this is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit