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, how many people have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the past 12 months.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. The Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), published by NHS England, includes a count of the total number of admissions with a primary diagnosis of multiple sclerosis between April 2024 and February 2025, by the age and sex of the patient. However, this data is not a count of patients, as an individual may be admitted on more than one occasion in any given period with the same diagnosis. The following table shows a count of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of multiple sclerosis by age and sex in 2024/25, with provisional data to February 2025:
Age group in years | Female | Male | Unknown | Total |
5 to 9 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
10 to 14 | 52 | 28 |
| 80 |
15 to 19 | 456 | 156 | 14 | 626 |
20 to 24 | 1,316 | 482 |
| 1,798 |
25 to 29 | 3,526 | 1,177 | 56 | 4,759 |
30 to 34 | 5,974 | 1,797 | 159 | 7,930 |
35 to 39 | 6,508 | 2,162 | 156 | 8,826 |
40 to 44 | 6,401 | 2,321 | 175 | 8,897 |
45 - 49 | 5,388 | 1,955 | 66 | 7,409 |
50 to 54 | 5,030 | 2,027 | 94 | 7,151 |
55 to 59 | 3,924 | 1,580 | 56 | 5,560 |
60 to 64 | 2,313 | 999 | 52 | 3,364 |
65 to 69 | 971 | 491 | 15 | 1,477 |
70 to 74 | 341 | 262 | 3 | 606 |
75 to 79 | 190 | 72 | 6 | 268 |
80 to 84 | 49 | 24 | 1 | 74 |
85 to 89 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 21 |
90 and over | 2 | 2 |
| 4 |
unknown | 72 | 40 |
| 112 |
All ages | 42,526 | 15,583 | 854 | 58,963 |
Source: HES, NHS England.
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, how many people have been prescribed (a) Ozempic and (b) other weight loss medication in the last 12 months.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ozempic is only licenced for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and can only be prescribed off-label for use in weight management. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) collects data on the number of prescriptions dispensed in England. Between March 2024 and February 2025, 83,286 unique identified patients were dispensed Ozempic in England. The data does not specify the purpose for which it was prescribed.
The NHSBSA also holds data on the number of prescription items dispensed of weight-loss medication. Between March 2024 and February 2025, 344,927 unique identified patients in England were dispensed medicines licensed for weight loss management.
The following have been included as they are licenced for weight management: Biolide; Nevolat; Saxenda; Wegovy; Orlistat (chemical substance) (Xenical, Alli, Orlos); and Tirzepatide (chemical substance) (Mounjaro). These have also been listed in the National Health Service’s obesity treatment information page, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/treatment/
There may be other medicines that may be prescribed for weight loss treatment that are not included in this data. As above, the NHSBSA does not collect data on the clinical condition for which medicines have been prescribed, so this data does not specify whether patients were prescribed medicines for weight-loss or another condition.
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 his Department has made of hearing loss causing dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2024 update of the Lancet Commission suggests that approximately 45% of global dementia cases are estimated to be potentially preventable or delayable. One of the 14 risk factors identified by the Lancet Commission for dementia is hearing loss.
The Department delivers a range of research into dementia via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). For example, the NIHR is currently funding the ENHANCE research programme, which is developing and testing an intervention app to see its effects on cognition, risk, quality of life, and affordability. The ENHANCE app seeks to address ten risk factors for dementia, including hearing loss. In the long-term, the researchers will examine health records to see if the app can reduce dementia rates.
The Lancet Commission 2024 and further research will help inform Government action on dementia going forward.
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, whether his Department is aware of Blenrep; and when it will be available to NHS patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of the medicine belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep). In the United Kingdom, medicines need to have a licence before they can be marketed, granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Licences confirm the health condition the medicine should be used for and the recommended dosage. To get a licence, the manufacturer of the medicine is required to provide evidence that shows that the medicine is safe and effective enough to be used for a specific condition and for a specific group of patients, and that they can manufacture the medicine to the required quality.
After a review of the safety, quality, and efficacy of Blenrep, it was approved for a marketing authorisation on 17 April, in combination with other products for use in the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma.
Newly licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. Following receipt of the marketing authorisation, the NICE will progress its appraisals of Blenrep as soon as possible.
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 recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI on detecting cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is testing artificial intelligence (AI) in areas that cause the most harm to health and to our economy. Through the £113 million AI award, a number of technologies that support with cancer diagnosis have been tested.
In addition, the £21 million AI diagnostic fund is focused on technologies that support with lung cancer diagnosis, such as chest x-rays and chest computed tomography scans.
On top of this, on 4 February 2025, the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge AI tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health, or EDITH, trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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, how many people have been diagnosed with rosacea by age since 2016.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), published by NHS England, provide a count of Finished Admission Episodes with a primary and/or secondary diagnosis of 'Rosacea' by patient age group for each year from 2015/16 to 2024/25. The information is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/services/hospital-episode-statistics
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, if he will take steps to ensure the RSV vaccine is free of charge for people over 80.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In line with independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at the greatest risk of harm from RSV infection. The routine RSV programme for older adults offers vaccination to those turning 75 years old on or after 1 September 2024, alongside a catch-up programme to vaccinate those aged between 75 and 79 years old on 1 September 2024. These individuals will remain eligible until the day before their 80th birthday, except for people who turn 80 years old in the first year, who have until 31 August 2025 to get vaccinated.
When advising on the introduction of the RSV programmes, the JCVI said that an extension to the initial programmes would be considered when there was more certainty about protection for patients at higher risk of severe illness from RSV, including people aged 80 years old and older, and the real-world impact of the programme for 75 to 80 year olds.
At its October 2024 main committee meeting, the JCVI agreed that it would need to formally review the evidence for a potential extension to the programme for people aged 80 years old and older, and for those in clinical risk groups. During the main committee meeting of 5 February 2025, the JCVI noted that it planned further discussions on potential advice towards extending the programme to those over 80 years of age. The minutes from JCVI meetings are publicly available online, at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation.
The JCVI will continue to review the necessary scientific evidence once it is available, and the Department will consider any further JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV vaccine in due course.
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 steps he is taking to raise awareness of the uses of different asthma inhalers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support the implementation of the updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence asthma guidelines, NHS England has been engaging with health system partners to coordinate resources and implementation efforts to make sure that patients are on the appropriate treatment regimen, and are using their inhaler at the right time, with the right technique. Updates to patient facing information on asthma management and treatments in line with the updated guidelines are ongoing. For example, the recently published Quality and Outcomes Framework and guidance has been updated to reflect the updated asthma guidelines.
The over-prescribing of reliever inhalers amongst people with asthma has seen a steady fall over the past few years. The percentage of patients on the Quality and Outcomes Framework asthma register who received six or more Short Acting Beta-2 Agonist reliever inhaler prescriptions over the previous 12 months fell from 19.8% in April 2022 to 15.9% in February 2025, a percentage change of 19.8%. Further information is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-network-contract-des
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 progress the NHS has made on the (a) prevention and (b) treatment of breast cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service recognise a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of breast cancer. To address risks related to overweight and obesity across the United Kingdom, the Government has laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink and is taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. The Department will continue to work across Government to understand how to reduce alcohol-related harms in England and the UK, including in relation to breast cancer.
The NHS in England has made important progress on the treatment of cancer, including breast cancer, delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week to ensure faster treatment for those who need it most. NHS England also funded an audit into primary and metastatic breast cancer to improve treatment. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in an NHS setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published on 12 September 2024 and officials in the Department and NHS England are considering next steps. Further information is available at the following links:
https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/metastatic-breast/
https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/primary-breast/
Finally, the National Cancer Plan for England will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including breast cancer.
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 steps he is taking to reduce the number of children waiting two years for mental health treatment on the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need and that waits for mental health services are too long. We are determined to change that.
Nationally, the Government is providing £7 million of funding to extend support for 24 Early Support Hubs, that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community.
We will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, so that mental health conditions can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life. We will also roll out Young Futures Hubs to provide open access mental health support for children and young people.
In addition, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to ease the pressure on busy mental health services.