Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 increase the proportion of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks of referral.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment (RTT).
As a first step in achieving this, we have delivered against the interim target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026. As of March 2026, the waiting list has reduced by over 515,000 since the Government came into office, and performance against the RTT standard has improved by 6.4%, reaching 65.3%. This is despite 37.2 million referrals onto the waiting list over the same period.
This progress has been made by delivering more appointments, investing in modernisation, reforming and simplifying pathways, increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity, and providing patients with faster and more convenient access to care.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria will be used in the appointment of the independent co-chair of the National Cancer Board.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions to be delivered within the next ten years, including the establishment of a reformed National Cancer Board. The role of the National Cancer Board will be to support and monitor the delivery of commitments and ambitions and provide regular updates to ministers.
It is important to choose the most suitable appointment process for selecting an independent representative to co-chair the board. Officials from NHS England and the Department are carefully following the required public appointments procedures. The criteria for the co-chair were set out in the job advert, which was published on the GOV.UK website.
The reformed National Cancer Board will be established once a co-chair is appointed, further details of which will be publicly available in due course.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer the letter of 27th February from Valerie Lambert regarding hospital appointments booked by the 111 telephone service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I responded to the Rt. Hon. Member’s correspondence on 24 April 2026.
Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
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 improve the accessibility to and reliability of the NHS patient transport service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) often provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment independently. NEPTS can be provided by ambulance trusts or other providers depending on local arrangements.
How the NEPTS guidance is implemented at a local level is determined by integrated care boards and their partners, including local ambulance trusts. In May 2022, NHS England set out eligibility criteria, which includes disability criteria, available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 expand places for neurology at medical school.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government keeps the total number of medical school places under close review to ensure it meets England’s workforce requirements.
Neurology is a medical specialty, with doctors undertaking speciality training in neurology following medical school, foundation and core training.
In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government committed to creating 1,000 new specialty training posts over the next three years with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. Further information on which specialties will receive these places, and when, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks of referral in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and (b) North Tyneside.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the end of March 2026, the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board reported that the proportion of patients on the waiting list waiting within 18 weeks was 72.3% compared to 70.2% in March 2025.
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reported that 72.5% of its waiting list was waiting within 18 weeks compared to 72.4% in March 2025.
Nationally, at the end of March 2026, the proportion of the waiting list waiting within 18 weeks was 65.3%.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Community Diagnostic Centres are open for at least 12 hours every day.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently 109 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) offering at least one diagnostic test, check or scan for 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
CDCs are a shining example of the Government shifting care out of hospitals and into the community, making life easier and more convenient for patients. With many services planned to be open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, people can fit appointments around their lives, not the other way around.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
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 respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through consideration of the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. 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, including respiratory conditions. 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. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures, long-term respiratory conditions, or short-term respiratory illnesses.
The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.
Through our community diagnostic centres, we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 community diagnostic centres across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory conditions.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
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 potential merits of giving pharmacy students studying for MPharm degrees in England access to the NHS Learning Support Fund.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, the Government extended the Learning Support Fund (LSF) scheme’s Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses provision to pre-registration pharmacy and healthcare science students to ensure they are reimbursed for the additional costs of attending placements. These students cannot currently access other elements of the LSF.
The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review. At all times the Government must strike a balance between the level of support students receive and the need to make best use of public funds to deliver value for money.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward from 2032 the New Hospital Programme construction work to redevelop Watford General hospital should capacity become available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Watford General Hospital is part of Wave 2 of the New Hospital Programme, as set out in the published Plan for Implementation. Pre-construction activity, which includes business case development and enabling works, is expected to commence from 2028, with main construction expected to begin between 2032 and 2034. There are no current plans to bring forward the construction timetable for the scheme.
As set out in the Plan for Implementation, delivery expectations may be subject to change depending on local and national factors and the programme reserves the right to adjust the delivery plan as schemes develop in the future.