Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which modifiable risk factors the Health Promotion Taskforce will focus on in the development of the forthcoming strategy for dementia in England.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The Department will set out our future plans on dementia for England later this year. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is contributing to the development of the new strategy, which will include a focus on prevention and risk reduction. The concept of brain health in encouraging people to reduce their dementia risk is also being explored. Officials are engaging with a range of stakeholders on the new strategy including members of the Dementia Programme Board and other Government departments.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role the Health Promotion Taskforce will have in the development of the forthcoming strategy for dementia in England.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The Department will set out our future plans on dementia for England later this year. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is contributing to the development of the new strategy, which will include a focus on prevention and risk reduction. The concept of brain health in encouraging people to reduce their dementia risk is also being explored. Officials are engaging with a range of stakeholders on the new strategy including members of the Dementia Programme Board and other Government departments.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England data from March 2020 to September 2021 which shows that urgent suspected urology cancer referrals were at 83.5 per cent of the pre-covid-19 outbreak baseline, what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of prostate cancer amongst higher risk men and (b) help ensure that those missing from the treatment pathway are identified before their cancer has progressed to be non-curable.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The ‘Help us help you’ campaign has raised awareness of abdominal and urological symptoms and urged people to consult their general practitioner (GP). A new phase of campaign is planned for early 2022 to address some of the barriers which prevent people coming forward. The National Health Service is working with Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness of prostate cancer risk and encourage men to use Prostate Cancer UK’s risk checker.
Primary Care Networks are working with GP practices to implement the 2021/22 Early Cancer Diagnosis Directed Enhanced Service Specification, to optimise suspected cancer referral practice, support earlier diagnosis of cancer, and identify people before their cancer has progressed to non-curable. The NHS is focusing on reducing the number of people waiting over 62 days on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatments for those whose care was delayed by the pandemic. An additional £1 billion has been made available to the NHS in 2021/22 to support the recovery of elective activity and cancer services.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to investigate the potential (a) acceptance of and (b) need for regulation on cultured meat as a food source.
Answered by Maggie Throup
In 2019, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned a study on consumer views towards emerging technologies including cultured meat. The FSA also plans further work on consumer perceptions of cultured meat, with the findings due in early 2022. Cultured meats would require pre-market authorisation as they are likely to be novel foods and any applications would need to be assessed for safety under the process required by the Novel Food Regulations 2015/2283. This authorisation process will take consumer views into account in any recommendations to the Government.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government announcement in April 2018 of £75 million funding over five years for prostate cancer research, how much of that funding has been disbursed, broken down by project.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department funds research into all aspects of human health, including prostate cancer, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the level of £1 billion per year. The following table shows the NIHR’s programme expenditure specifically prostate cancer since April 2018:
Award title | Total award budget |
A randomised controlled trial of Partial prostate Ablation versus Radical Treatment (PART) in intermediate risk, unilateral clinically localised prostate cancer | £ 2,677,446 |
Enzalutamide for treating non-metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer [ID1359] | £ 65,625 |
A randomised controlled trial of TRANSrectal biopsy versus Local Anaesthetic Transperineal biopsy Evaluation (TRANSLATE) of potential clinically significant prostate cancer | £ 1,072,414 |
Darolutamide with androgen deprivation therapy for treating non-metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer [ID1443] | £ 65,625 |
Olaparib for previously treated, hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer (ID1640) | £ 131,250 |
Perineal biopsy devices for diagnosis of prostate cancer in people with suspected prostate cancer | £ 175,219 |
A miniature tethered drop-in laparoscopic molecular imaging probe for intraoperative decision support in minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery | £ 869,105 |
Prostate Liquid Biopsy Test for Risk Stratification of Prostate Cancer, preparation for CE marking. | £ 205,098 |
Transforming management of advanced prostate cancer: Increasing clinical productivity and capacity and empowering men through digital health | £ 149,168 |
Further development of and evidence generation for a precision dosing tool for optimising chemotherapy dosing in advanced prostate cancer | £ 150,000 |
GlycoScore: Superior prostate cancer diagnosis using a simple blood test | £ 150,000 |
Integrating genetic testing into the prostate cancer pathway to more precisely guide care, treatment and accelerate clinical trials | £ 3,001,779 |
SUrvivors' Rehabilitation Evaluation after CANcer (SURECAN) | £ 2,447,636 |
Supported exercise TrAining for Men with prostate caNcer on Androgen deprivation therapy – STAMINA | £ 2,497,723 |
Endoscopically-delivered Purastat for the treatment of haemorrhagic radiation proctopathy: a randomised feasibility study | £ 225,720 |
Improving self and clinical management of comorbid diabetes during cancer treatments: a qualitative interview study with patients and clinicians to identify theory-based intervention targets, strategies and implementation options | £ 149,784 |
A multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a self-help cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) intervention to reduce the impact of hot flush and night sweat (HFNS) symptoms in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT): MANaging symptoms during prostate CANcer treatment (MANCAN2) | £ 348,659 |
The Prostate Cancer Androgen Receptor Splice Variant 7 Biomarker Trial (The VARIANT trial) - A multicentre feasibility study of biomarker-guided personalised treatment in advanced prostate cancer. | £276,230 |
Improving outcomes for men undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. A study to evaluate the feasibility of a multicentre randomised controlled trial of frozen section technology to improve oncological and functional outcomes at robotic radical prostatectomy. | £ 249,302 |
Multimodal treatment for patients with prostate cancer: a national study using existing electronic data. | £ 257,830 |
Total | £15,165,614 |
The NIHR also supports the delivery in the health and care system of prostate cancer research funded by research funding partners in the charity and public sectors. The NIHR Clinical Research Network has supported over 90 prostate cancer related studies since April 2018, totalling £20.3 million.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on introducing the flexible training for healthcare professionals seeking to switch discipline announced on 9 February 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to work with Health Education England and other partners on a range of initiatives to reform the medical and nursing training systems to ensure that the National Health Service workforce aligns with patient and service need. This includes taking action to widen access into healthcare professions and increase the flexibility of training pathways.
As part of this work, the Government is considering opportunities as a result of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union to support healthcare professionals to switch disciplines. Any changes to training for regulated healthcare professions would be developed in conjunction with stakeholders and would be subject to full public consultation where appropriate. Approved education providers would need to consider prior learning to assess the flexibility of programmes or entry requirements and any individual training courses that arose from this work would need to be approved by the relevant regulator.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether funding is available for the costs of (a) covid-19 testing and (b) quarantine for children who are required to travel internationally by custody order.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government does not provide funding for travel costs. We offer deferred payment plans and hardship support for people who cannot afford to pay for the cost of managed quarantine and testing up front. In some circumstances this may be available to those who are not in receipt of income related benefits.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
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 merits of offering mammography screening on a biennial basis instead of a three-year interval.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is not currently considering the potential merits of offering mammography screening on a biennial basis instead of the current three-year interval. The NHS Breast Screening Programme is currently focussed on inviting all eligible women to participate in breast screening for screening that may have been delayed due to COVID-19.
A proposal to change the current screening interval from three yearly to biennial would be for the UK NSC to consider through its programme modification proposal process, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether funding is available for the costs of (a) covid-19 testing and (b) quarantine for children who are required to travel internationally by custody order.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the difference between the Public Health England and the World Health Organisation's classification of deaths from covid-19, if he will publish figures for deaths from covid-19 in the UK according to the WHO definition that Covid-19 should be recorded on the medical certificate of cause of death for all decedents where the disease caused, or is assumed to have caused, or contributed to death.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE) uses two definitions of a death in a person with COVID-19 in England. Firstly, the total number of deaths of people who received a positive test result for COVID-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test reported on or up to the date of death or reporting date. People who died more than 28 days after their first positive test are not included, whether or not COVID-19 was the cause of death. Secondly, the total number of deaths of people who received a positive test result for COVID-19 and either died within 60 days of the first positive test or where COVID-19 was mentioned on their death certificate.
Data for both definitions of a COVID-19 death are available in PHE’s National COVID-19 surveillance reports which are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports