To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Health Services: Waiting Lists
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients were waiting for NHS treatment as of 30 August; and what was the average waiting time for NHS treatment in August 2023.

Answered by Will Quince

The requested data for August 2023 has not yet been published. The most recent published data showed that the total waiting list for elective consultant-led treatment was 7.57 million in June 2023. For patients waiting to start treatment at the end of June 2023, the median waiting time was 14.3 weeks.


Written Question
Diabetes: Semaglutide
Wednesday 6th September 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

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 an adequate supply of Ozempic for patients with diabetes.

Answered by Will Quince

We are aware of a supply issue with Ozempic, which has been largely driven by off-label use for weight loss. We have issued guidance in the form of Medicine Supply Notifications and, on 18 July, issued a National Patient Safety Alert which made it clear that Ozempic, which is solely licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, should only be used for that purpose, and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss.

We have engaged with relevant regulators, and the General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards.

We have also added Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists to the list of medicines that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the United Kingdom.

We are continuing to work closely with manufacturers and others working in the supply chain to help ensure the continued supply of these medicines for UK patients, for example by asking suppliers to expedite deliveries.

We have provided advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring this medicine whilst there are shortages and are keeping this under review as the situation evolves. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.


Written Question
Semaglutide
Wednesday 6th September 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Ozempic.

Answered by Will Quince

We are aware of a supply issue with Ozempic, which has been largely driven by off-label use for weight loss. We have issued guidance in the form of Medicine Supply Notifications and, on 18 July, issued a National Patient Safety Alert which made it clear that Ozempic, which is solely licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, should only be used for that purpose, and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss.

We have engaged with relevant regulators, and the General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards.

We have also added Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists to the list of medicines that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the United Kingdom.

We are continuing to work closely with manufacturers and others working in the supply chain to help ensure the continued supply of these medicines for UK patients, for example by asking suppliers to expedite deliveries.

We have provided advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring this medicine whilst there are shortages and are keeping this under review as the situation evolves. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.


Written Question
Medical Detection Dogs
Wednesday 7th June 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of medical detection and bio detection dogs.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made.


Written Question
Tourette's Syndrome: Mental Health Services
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

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 potential merits of NICE guidance for (a) Tourrette syndrome and (b) other tic disorders.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions on which topics the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will develop guidelines on are made by its cross-agency topic prioritisation (CATP) group. The CATP is a formal group that includes senior executives from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department.

When deciding which topics to develop guidelines on, and in what order, the group takes into account factors such as the health and care burden, the evidence base and variation in practice. The group met on 2 November 2022 to discuss the topic of Tourette syndrome and did not consider this topic to be a priority for guidance development at this time.

NICE’s guideline on suspected neurological conditions covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that may indicate a neurological condition and makes recommendations on tics and involuntary movement in children. Best practice guidance on the management of Tourette syndrome is accessible from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and available at the following link: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1042


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Clinical Trials
Wednesday 26th April 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken recent steps to ensure that clinical trial databases are kept up to date in order to allow patients with metastatic breast cancer to participate in those trials.

Answered by Will Quince

To help improve digital infrastructure and services, the Government has increased funding for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) which supports and funds clinical trials in the United Kingdom, including those for metastatic breast cancer. NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.

The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service collects and analyses data on all people in England diagnosed with cancer, providing comprehensive data collection and quality assurance over the entire cancer pathway managed by NHS Digital. Health Research Authority has also introduced functionality to automatically register studies seeking approval on the UK-based clinical trials register ISRCTN, which feeds into the Be Part of Research System, increasing data coverage and accuracy for potential participants.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Clinical Trials
Tuesday 25th April 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase the number of metastatic breast cancer treatment clinical trials in view of the number of affected patients.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department does not typically ring-fence funds for specific topics or conditions. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research on any aspect of human health, including metastatic breast cancer, subject to peer review and open competition. Awards are based on topic importance, value for money, and scientific quality.

The Government's vision, Saving and Improving Lives, published in March 2021, outlines plans to increase clinical trials, including for metastatic breast cancer, in the 2022-2025 implementation plan, published June 2021. The Government also entered a 10 year partnership with Moderna, with substantial investment in United Kingdom based research and development, including cancer research. Additionally, Lord James O’Shaughnessy has been independently commissioned to review commercial clinical trials in the UK and plans are to publish recommendations for 2023 and longer-term ambitions for UK clinical trials this spring.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Drugs
Tuesday 25th April 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to speed up the drug approval process for new metastatic breast cancer treatments.

Answered by Will Quince

The Government is committed to supporting timely patient access to clinically- and cost-effective new drugs, including for metastatic breast cancer.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England are working closely together to ensure that there is a joined-up, timely approach to supporting access to new medicines for National Health Service patients, including those licensed through Project Orbis and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway. NICE is also able to make recommendations through the cancer drugs fund (CDF), which has benefitted over 88,000 patients as of March 2023. The CDF has allowed patients with metastatic breast cancer to access new medicines like trastuzumab, deruxtecan and palbociclib, while allowing for the collection of further data on their clinical- and cost-effectiveness to inform a final NICE recommendation.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Health Services
Tuesday 25th April 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure awareness of metastatic breast cancer among NHS staff involved in primary care.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In April 2020, NHS England introduced the 'early cancer diagnosis service specification' for Primary Care Networks (PCNs), which 99% of general practices (GPs) are signed up to. This is designed to support improvements in rates of early cancer diagnosis by requiring PCNs to review the quality of their practices’ referrals for suspected cancer and take steps to improve this.

NHS England is supporting GPs to diagnose more cancers early by making funding available to embed clinical decision support tools within general practice. These tools are designed to support GPs in clinical decision making, such as whether to refer or request further diagnostic investigation in patients where they believe there is a risk of cancer, and identifying patients who may be at risk of cancer based on the symptoms they present with.

Cancer education programmes such as ‘Gateway C’ are available online and include specific courses on breast cancer, and face-to-face education sessions have now resumed and are offered by a range of providers.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Medical Treatments
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that data is collected to assess the success rates of metastatic breast cancer treatment pathways.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service works closely with hospital trusts to determine sources of data which can be used to complete the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset data and also works with the software suppliers of cancer management systems to ensure that data items are able to be recorded. Compliance with data standards is monitored by local integrated care boards (ICBs).

The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership commissions, develops, and manages the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme, on behalf of NHS England, Wales and other devolved administrations. These audits have been introduced to reduce variation in treatment by demonstrating where care is being provided in line with standards and where a service is doing well or could be improved. Five additional new clinical audits were announced in May 2021, one of which will focus on metastatic breast cancer.