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 he is taking to increase awareness of the symptoms of (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:
The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.
The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.
To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.
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 he is taking to help support people living with (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis in Ashfield.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:
The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.
The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.
To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
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 cost-effectiveness of a Type 1 Diabetes screening programme.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, new screening programmes and modifications to existing screening programmes are recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee.
The UK NSC received a submission via its 2024 open call process to consider screening for autoimmune type 1 diabetes through blood testing. Once the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published its recommendation on the drug teplizumab, the UK NSC will look again at this open call submission and consider whether a fresh review of the evidence for type 1 diabetes screening should be undertaken.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the rates of cardiovascular disease in South Suffolk constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. To accelerate progress on this mission and tackle unwarranted variation across the country, we will publish a cardiovascular disease (CVD) modern service framework in 2026. The framework will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.
The Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has a number of initiatives to reduce the rates of CVD, including:
- having an integrated pathway for general practitioners and pharmacies to find and support the estimated 22,500 people with undiagnosed high blood pressure and 17,000 people who are not on the correct dose of cholesterol medication;
- identifying women at high risk of CVD through general practice records, enabling earlier detection and helping to address gender disparities in diagnosis and care; and
- helping increase the uptake of the NHS Health Check, including improving the invite process, offering a choice of venue to participants, and raising awareness through print and social media.
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 he has made of the adequacy of diagnosis times for COPD.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To enable faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.
As of November 2025, CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks in 170 sites across the country. 101 CDCs 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 their busy working lives.
Diagnosis times for COPD from spirometry tests are not routinely collected or available in a centralised dataset.
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 they are taking to help reduce wait times for diagnosis of (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:
The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.
The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.
To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.
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 they are taking to support children living with (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:
The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.
The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.
To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will commit to appointing a new National Clinical Director for Rare Diseases.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise that national clinical directors play an important role in policy development and implementation. There are over 7,000 types of rare disease which span the range of clinical specialities. As such, NHS England and the Department expect to continue to draw upon the range of clinical expertise that their national clinical directors hold to inform our work in this area, as well as that of expert clinicians delivering services for rare diseases, such as those commissioned by specialised commissioning. In addition, there is a National Medical Director for Specialised Services who provides national leadership and advice for the healthcare of rare disease and oversight for the portfolio of rare diseases which NHS England commissions services for.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
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 prevent the misdiagnosis of adults over 30 with Type 1 Diabetes as Type 2 within the NHS.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To coincide with World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2025, NHS England, in partnership with other key national stakeholders, launched a national awareness campaign to promote health care professionals in their identification and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.
This included a call to action to healthcare professionals, signposting to information, and action to take if a person is displaying any of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, as well as supportive resources.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 encourage healthy eating habits in young people, separate from Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide applies to most people from the age of two years old, and is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide#
The Eatwell Guide’s principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and Department social marketing campaigns, which encompass Better Health, Better Health Families, and Best Start in Life. This includes a series of websites and digital tools that support families with young children to eat better, providing guidance on healthy eating, such as the Food Scanner app and email programmes.
Education around healthy eating is also covered through a number of school curriculum subjects.
The Eatwell Guide also underpins Government catering guidance and standards. Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. These standards are available at the following link:
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, the Government has committed to actions to encourage a food environment that supports everyone, including young people, to make healthier choices, including:
Further information on the 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
There are a range of actions that have already been taken, including the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, location promotions restrictions, and calorie labelling. Prior to the General Election in July 2024, the Department also legislated to introduce restrictions on the volume price promotions retailers can offer on ‘less healthy’ food and drink in stores and their equivalent places online. These measures came into force in England on 1 October 2025.