Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 access to treatments for pancreatic cancer and increase survival rates.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The National Cancer Plan includes further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rare and less survivable cancers such as pancreatic cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will help ensure patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and will put the National Health Service at the forefront of global cancer care.
The plan sets out a major expansion in the use of genomics to support earlier diagnosis and more personalised treatment. By 2028, genomic data will be integrated into the unified genomic record, forming part of the Single Patient Record, enabling clinicians to start patients on the most effective treatment pathway faster.
To accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatments, we will explore innovative procurement methods. This will aim to stimulate the development of new diagnostic tests, targeted therapies, and more effective treatments for rare cancers, ensuring that the NHS remains at the forefront of medical innovation.
Finally, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type. This includes symptoms of pancreatic cancer, which will support earlier diagnosis and better treatment options for patients with the disease.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 expand access to naloxone in communities.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
Naloxone forms a key part of the Government’s plan to reduce drug related deaths, and we are committed to expanding access to naloxone in communities across the country. The Government has already amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone by enabling more services and professionals to supply naloxone without needing a prescription.
In addition to the changes made in 2024, we recently published a United Kingdom wide public consultation which closed on 9 March, to seek views on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone. We are analysing the responses to this consultation, and we will be setting out the next steps soon.
One of the legislative proposals we have consulted on is to create a new route of supply by enabling publicly accessible naloxone for emergency use using a locked box model. This overdose prevention method could enable more local areas to have naloxone available at any time in high-risk public spaces such as high streets and near to nightlife venues, without needing a prescription or in person supply. We have also consulted on making further legislative changes to allow hostels, day centres, and outreach services for people experiencing homelessness to supply naloxone without a prescription.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 ensure the routine freezing of suitable brain tumour tissue samples to improve patient access to genomic testing, personalised treatments and research.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Department continues to engage with NHS England and wider stakeholders on improving access to high-quality pathology and genomics services, including those relevant to brain tumour patients.
NHS England and the Department will work with professional bodies, including the Royal College of Pathologists, to review tissue retention guidance. This work includes guidance on the consent of fresh-tissue freezing for all cancers, including for brain tumour patients. The Genomics Medicine Service has developed a Genomics Centre of Excellence for brain cancers to ensure access to whole genome sequencing (WGS) for brain tumour patients.
NHS England has made several wider commitments to address variation in the access and provision of pathology services, particularly histopathology and genomics across England, and has issued national guidance on sample handling, including for WGS of solid tumours. This guidance is intended to support consistent approaches to maintaining DNA quality, and support improved consistency and access to precision diagnostics across England, to improve personalised treatments and further support research.
In addition, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh freezing of tissue samples have already been developed across pathology networks in England. It is, however, the responsibility of individual pathology services to maintain their own SOPs for the fresh freezing of tissue samples. These protocols outline local capabilities and practices, including access and storage capacity.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the NHS Federated Data Platform contract with Palantir ahead of the 2027 break clause, in the context of reported concerns about undisclosed access to identifiable patient data and the disapplication of the National Data Opt-Out.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.
The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:
As of the end of May 2026, 170 trusts have signed up for the NHS FDP including St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The supplier contract for the NHS FDP will be reviewed in line with standard contract management processes, and a decision will be made this year regarding the available extension provisions.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and whether he is supporting the development of new scanning technologies or screening methods to detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to improving outcomes for people affected by pancreatic cancer through earlier diagnosis, faster treatment and increased access to innovation. The National Cancer Plan for England identifies earlier diagnosis as a key priority and sets out actions to expand diagnostic capacity, improve access to tests and scans, and reduce the number of cancers diagnosed through emergency presentation.
Non-specific symptom pathways have been achieved across England, providing a route to diagnosis for patients whose symptoms may indicate cancer but do not align with a specific tumour type, which is particularly important for pancreatic cancer, where symptoms are often non-specific.
NHS England is supporting earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer by providing a route into surveillance programmes for people at inherited high risk, to help identify disease before it develops or at an earlier stage. In addition, NHS England is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests and developing faster referral routes for patients with non-specific symptoms.
The government is supporting the development and evaluation of innovative diagnostic technologies. Through the NHS Cancer Innovation Open Call, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust was awarded funding to assess the feasibility of Guardant360, a multi-cancer liquid biopsy test, within pancreatic and biliary tract cancer pathways across seven NHS trusts.
The Department invests approximately £1.8 billion each year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending, with £141.6 million invested in 2024/25. For example, NIHR-funded research is exploring how artificial intelligence can be used to improve the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and reduce instances of missed cancer diagnoses.
The UK National Screening Committee keeps evidence for cancer screening programmes under review. Any future decisions on pancreatic cancer screening would be informed by the available evidence on clinical effectiveness and population benefit.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 impact of corridor care and delayed transfers from emergency departments on patient safety, including the reported 16,000 deaths annually; and what steps his Department is taking to end the use of temporary care environments such as corridors and waiting areas in NHS hospitals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England are clear that corridor care is not acceptable and should never become standard practice. The figure of 16,000 deaths annually is a reported estimate rather than an official Government statistic. However, the Department recognises the serious risks associated with prolonged waits in emergency care, including delays to assessment, treatment, and admission. That is why reducing overcrowding, improving patient flow, and tackling discharge delays are central priorities for the National Health Service.
NHS England has introduced a clear national definition of corridor care and began daily reporting in March 2026, and this gives real-time visibility of pressures and is enabling targeted support from specialist teams for the most affected hospitals. As of June 2026, we are publishing data on incidence of corridor care, on a monthly basis. In addition, updated guidance published in December 2025 sets out how trusts should maintain safety, dignity, and privacy where temporary care environments are unavoidable, including senior clinical oversight and named nursing responsibility. We are also investing £215.5 million in 40 new and expanded urgent care sites across England, to reduce pressure on accident and emergency departments.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will publish its response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s report on the health impacts of breast implants and other cosmetic procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important work of the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) and remains committed to addressing longstanding concerns around safety in the cosmetic sector.
We will issue the Government’s response to the WEC report on cosmetic procedures once the Department’s consultation on our proposed approach to introducing legal safeguards for high-risk cosmetic procedures is published. We intend to publish the consultation in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 that patients with suspected craniocervical instability in the context of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are not (a) misdiagnosed and (b) inappropriately managed.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government recognises the challenges faced by patients with hypermobile Ehlers‑Danlos syndromes (hEDS) and associated conditions, including suspected craniocervical instability (CCI), which can be complex to diagnose and manage.
In England, decisions about diagnosis, investigation, and treatment are made by clinicians based on individual clinical need and the best available evidence. In doing so they can access consensus-backed guidelines from the Ehlers-Danlos Society and Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, which can help differentiate benign joint hypermobility from true neurological instability, minimising misdiagnosis and ensuring safe, conservative management.
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their populations, including access to appropriate specialist services. Where clinically appropriate, patients can be referred across specialties, including neurology, rheumatology, pain management, and neurosurgery, to support a multidisciplinary approach to care.
We will continue to work with NHS England and stakeholders to improve awareness, coordination of care, and clinical understanding of complex multi‑system conditions such as hEDS and CCI.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether ICBs that are clustered have developed individual 5-year plans as set out in the medium term planning framework or if these have been developed jointly across cluster arrangements.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Most integrated care boards (ICBs) who are clustering have provided combined plans. Where ICBs have provided individual plans, they have referenced their clustering arrangements to ensure that the strategies are aligned.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Putney constituency compared with national averages during the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Putney and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:
Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence | 2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025) | 2025/26 (April 2025 to December 2025) |
Putney | 725 | 705 |
England | 612,855 | 511,558 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.
Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Wandsworth can be found at the following link: