Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on its review of the UK Foundation programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, and the former National Medical Director at NHS England, Professor Stephen Powis, have led the Medical Training Review to understand current challenges and identify key areas for potential improvements in postgraduate medical education, which includes the UK Foundation Programme. Phase one of the review was published in October 2025.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 106495, what assessment has been made of the reasons for the 25% reduction in the numbers of those aged 75 and over self referring for bowel cancer screening between 2023 and 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving cancer services is a priority for the Government. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.
The bowel cancer screening programme primarily focuses on uptake and coverage of those eligible for screening, those aged 50 to 74 years old, and how these individuals progress through the pathway for additional diagnostic tests where required. As those over 75 years old self-referring fall outside the primary cohort no analysis has been made of the fluctuations in numbers.
Over 75s can still ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline. Anyone experiencing symptoms is encouraged to seek medical advice immediately.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the potential impact of prioritising UK medical graduates in the 10 Year Health Plan on staffing levels.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training.
The bill extends and applies across the UK. Health workforce planning and access to medical training are devolved matters. However, the process of recruitment and the allocation of foundation and specialty training places is undertaken on a UK-wide basis, and we are committed to keeping that consistency.
Department ministers have worked closely with their counterparts on the draft bill and alongside this, officials have been working closely and constructively with colleagues across all devolved administrations as we shape these proposals, and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what change has there been in diagnosis rates for genetic haemochromatosis during the past three years.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England requires the NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs) to report Patient Level Contract Monitoring data, to understand capacity and activity volumes, to ensure that they deliver a comprehensive testing offer. As of December 2023, National Health Service genomic testing activity data has been published on the NHS England website, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/
NHS England is continuing to work with the NHS GLHs to develop this dataset, including routinely reporting outcome data, to understand changes in diagnosis rates. The most recent data between 2024/25 and 2025/26 shows that the diagnosis rates for genetic hemochromatosis have been consistent. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of this outcome data, including the reporting requirements and improving the informatics systems that support the data collection.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, following the recent announcement by NHS England that a life-extending drug for prostate cancer will shortly be available on the NHS, if he will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Health Minister on providing that drug to patients in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Health Minister on abiraterone access in Northern Ireland. Decisions on the availability of medicines in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people over 75 self referred for bowel cancer screening in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme plays a vital role in the Government's ambition to change the National Health Service so that it diagnoses earlier and treats faster.
Although people aged 75 years old and over are not routinely invited, they can self-refer and ask for a bowel cancer screening kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline.
In 2023, 132,425 people aged 75 years old and over requested a test kit. Of these, 99% completed the screening test.
In 2024, 99,516 people aged 75 years old and over requested a test kit, with 98% completing the screening test.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does he expect to receive the outcome of the Prostate Cancer UK-led Transform screening trial.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is partnering with Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) on the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is managing the award on behalf of the funders, with the Government contributing £16 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
In November 2025, the TRANSFORM trial began recruitment as part of the initial 16,000 men taking part in stage one, from 2025 to 2027, which will test new techniques against the current National Health Service diagnostic pathway. Although the TRANSFORM trial will run for over a decade, there will be multiple points during the trial where new evidence will be generated, with stage 1 due to end in April 2027.
The UK National Screening Committee are working closely with the TRANSFORM trial team and will assess new evidence as it becomes available. This will ensure that prostate cancer policy is kept at the forefront of the Government’s cancer agenda.
The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including prostate cancer.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to recognise and support Kevin Sinfield CBE's fundraising for motor neurone disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We pay tribute to the outstanding work that Kevin Sinfield had done to raise money for motor neurone disease (MND) charities and raise awareness of the condition. It will truly make a huge difference to those living with MND and their loved ones. We welcome the recent opening of the new Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds. Kevin Sinfield’s fundraising was instrumental to this centre being upbuilt.
The Government is investing in MND research across a range of areas, including an £8 million investment via the National Institute for Health and Care Research into the EXPERTS-ALS study, a pre-clinical study which is designed to accelerate the identification and testing of the most promising treatment candidates for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, the most common form of MND.
The MND Translational Accelerator, supported by £6 million of Government funding, is connecting the UK Dementia Research Institute, the UK MND Research Institute, and Dementias Platform UK. Twelve projects have been funded through the Accelerator, with all aimed at speeding up the development of treatments for MND.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to WPQ 51812, what assessment he has made of the reliability of BMI testing, in the context of the Global Burden of Disease’s indication that one of the main contributory causes of type 2 diabetes is high body mass index.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service.
NICE has published guidance on the management of overweight and obesity. The guidance recommends that body mass index (BMI) is used as a practical measure of overweight and obesity. It acknowledges the limitations of BMI, highlighting that the measurement should be interpreted with caution because it is not a direct measure of abdominal fat. In adults with a BMI below 35 kilogram per meter of height squared, waist to height ratio is also recommended. These measurements together can be used to help assess and predict health risks, such as type 2 diabetes.
NICE also recommends lower BMI cut offs for certain ethnic minority groups, as they are prone to higher levels of abdominal fat and have an increased risk of developing certain health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, at a lower BMI.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 men at highest risk of prostate cancer take part in screening trials.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) have partnered together on the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer, to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis. For example, one in four black men will develop prostate cancer, double the risk of other men, and often at a younger age. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of the men who are invited to participate in the trial are black.