Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department is having with the Care Quality Commission on carrying out further inspections at Castle Hill Hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recently sought information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regarding their regulatory oversight of Castle Hill Hospital. The CQC last inspected Castle Hill Hospital in November 2022, where it was rated as Requires Improvement overall. The full inspection report and detail are available at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/RWA16
Castle Hill Hospital is part of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is subject to enhanced surveillance and attends a monthly Quality Improvement Board chaired by NHS England, which the CQC also attends. The trust’s action plan is monitored by the Board.
The trust was told by the CQC to take several actions to ensure that clinical care and treatment across the trust was delivered safely and in accordance with national guidance. The CQC continues to monitor the trust to ensure required improvements are made.
In light of the police investigation and the completion of three external reviews into the trust, the CQC is considering new information to determine any further regulatory action. Any inspection activity will be reported on and published on the CQC’s website.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of safety levels at Castle Hill Hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recently sought information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regarding their regulatory oversight of Castle Hill Hospital. The CQC last inspected Castle Hill Hospital in November 2022, where it was rated as Requires Improvement overall. The full inspection report and detail are available at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/RWA16
Castle Hill Hospital is part of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is subject to enhanced surveillance and attends a monthly Quality Improvement Board chaired by NHS England, which the CQC also attends. The trust’s action plan is monitored by the Board.
The trust was told by the CQC to take several actions to ensure that clinical care and treatment across the trust was delivered safely and in accordance with national guidance. The CQC continues to monitor the trust to ensure required improvements are made.
In light of the police investigation and the completion of three external reviews into the trust, the CQC is considering new information to determine any further regulatory action. Any inspection activity will be reported on and published on the CQC’s website.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of not including prostate cancer referral guidance for asymptomatic men in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines on prostate cancer relate to symptomatic patients. Guidance on prostate cancer referral for asymptomatic men can be found in the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overview
NICE guidelines do not provide guidance on screening of asymptomatic people which is the responsibility of the UK National Screening Committee.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will support the establishment of Centres of Excellence for each less survivable cancer type.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support cancer care for rarer and less survivable cancer type, the Government is committed to helping the National Health Service to diagnose all cancers earlier and to treat them faster.
The Government is also committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment, so that people with cancer, including less survivable cancer, can get access to the care they need more quickly. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, the National Health Service is delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.
Moreover, full roll out of non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways, designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer, has been achieved across England. NSS pathways introduce a route to possible diagnosis for patients who display symptoms that could indicate cancer, but which do not align to specific cancers, often the case for less survivable cancers. The new non-specific pathway complements current cancer diagnostic pathways, as well as providing elements that can be applied to existing pathways. The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later in 2025, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rarer and less survivable cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The Department ran a public Call for Evidence to determine priorities for the plan; responses are currently being analysed. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including less survivable cancer.
For these reasons, the Department does not currently have plans to support the establishment of Centres of Excellence for each survivable cancer type.
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, how many households in Ashfield constituency are outside the recommended minimum distance from a defibrillator.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not maintain a register of automated external defibrillators (AEDs); this information is held on The Circuit, an independently operated database. Therefore, the Department does not hold the data requested.
The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces and to reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED Fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.
Applications to the fund were allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.
There are now over 100,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit. There has been an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of the over 100,000 defibrillators are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to implement enhanced public awareness campaigns to educate the public on the importance of (a) HPV vaccination and (b) regular cervical screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works alongside NHS England and the Department to promote the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as part of a national programme to prevent cervical cancers caused by HPV.
Throughout the year, UKHSA's data and surveillance is used to create public and stakeholder communications, and to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of the vaccine. UKHSA also publishes and provides a range of supporting materials to health professionals on both the 12- and 13-year-old HPV offer, and the vaccine programme for those at higher risk.
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme, through NHS England, has a series of initiatives underway, including developing a digital-first approach.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 implement targeted outreach programmes in areas with low (a) HPV vaccination and (b) cervical screening rates to (i) help tackle health disparities and (ii) ensure equitable access to preventive services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In March 2025, NHS England published the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. Further information on the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/
The plan builds on five cross-cutting themes:
- increasing access;
- raising awareness;
- reducing inequalities;
- improving digital capabilities; and
- strengthening workforce capacity.
NHS England has launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, from 16 to 24 June 2025. The campaign will include digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and which aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public about HPV, and build confidence in the HPV vaccine and cervical screening.
There are differences in vaccination and screening coverage between communities, and some groups face inequalities. Health inequalities must continue to be addressed. NHS England will continue:
- building their understanding of the barriers to and perceptions of HPV vaccination and cervical screening, and will share this with local systems to support the planning of culturally-sensitive, community-led engagements with low uptake groups;
- developing inclusive materials to better reach underserved communities through trusted voices;
- identifying groups using national and local level data who may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer; and
- enabling trans men and non-binary people with a cervix to be routinely invited for cervical screening.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies on neighbourhood health of the York Frailty Hub.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer. Moving care from hospitals into the community will be at the heart of the 10-Year Health Plan.
Many places have already made progress in developing an integrated local approach to National Health Service and social care delivery, and there are excellent examples, such as the York Frailty Hub, of partnership working between the health and care system and its partners, including local government, other statutory services, the voluntary sector, and communities themselves.
Moving to a Neighbourhood Health Service will build on this good practice and will reinforce a new way of working for the NHS, local government, social care, and their partners, where integrated working is the norm and not the exception
In advance of the publication of the plan, NHS England published Neighbourhood Health Guidelines to help integrated care boards, local authorities, and health and care providers to continue to progress neighbourhood health in 2025/26.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public health impact of removing added nitrites from processed meats, including potential reductions in cancer incidence and pressures on NHS services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made of the public health impact of removing added nitrates and/or nitrites from processed meats. An assessment has been made of the health impact of nitrates/nitrites more generally.
Government advice on red and processed meat consumption is based on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) report Iron and Health, published in 2010. This report concluded that red and processed meat intake is probably associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The report considered nitrates and nitrites, which are preservatives that are added to some processed meats, as one of the plausible mechanisms for this association, and it concluded that the data did not support this, and noted that although such preservatives are permitted in processed meats, not all processed meats will contain these.
Based on the SACN’s conclusions, the Government advises that adults who regularly consume more than 90 grams per day of red and processed meat reduce their consumption to no more than the population average of 70 grams per day. This recommendation is also consistent with advice from the European Food Safety Authority in relation to safe levels for nitrites and nitrates added to meat. Intakes of red and processed meat are monitored through the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
All food additives used in food and drink in Great Britain have undergone a rigorous safety assessment before they were authorised.
Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the uptake of vaccines during the most recent COVID-19 vaccine programme, and when will the autumn/winter COVID-19 vaccine programme begin.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The spring 2025 data, which covers any dose administered from 1 April to 1 June, shows that 55.3% of all people aged 75 years old and over, and 23.3% of all people aged under 75 years old with a weakened immune system, who are living in England, had been vaccinated. Further information is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.
An announcement on the autumn vaccination programme is expected shortly. This will be followed by an announcement on the spring 2026 programme later in the year.