Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System plans to take to increase the number of endoscopy procedures for patients in Basildon and Billericay constituency.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of this Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst integrated care systems (ICSs), including the Mid and South Essex ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering National Health Service trusts.
As the principal provider of diagnostic services in the ICB footprint, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is currently formulating and confirming its recovery plans with the integrated care board. The Trust intends to increase both internal capacity and insourcing with external support.
Additional endoscopy capacity from new Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) currently being established across the ICS will start to come onstream later this year. On the border of the Basildon and Billericay constituency, the Pitsea area will host Pitsea CDC. Once open, endoscopy services may be offered to the local population, where convenient, to improve their access to diagnostic care, including endoscopy services.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 reduce endoscopy waiting lists in (a) Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System and (b) Basildon and Brentwood constituency.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of this Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst integrated care systems (ICSs), including the Mid and South Essex ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering National Health Service trusts.
As the principal provider of diagnostic services in the ICB footprint, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is currently formulating and confirming its recovery plans with the integrated care board. The Trust intends to increase both internal capacity and insourcing with external support.
Additional endoscopy capacity from new Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) currently being established across the ICS will start to come onstream later this year. On the border of the Basildon and Billericay constituency, the Pitsea area will host Pitsea CDC. Once open, endoscopy services may be offered to the local population, where convenient, to improve their access to diagnostic care, including endoscopy services.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 2 March, (b) 3 April, (c) 3 May and (d) 7 June 2023 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay relating to a constituent's case, reference JB40823 and MC2023/04425.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 29 June 2023.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of (a) 14 March 2023, (b) 14 April 2023, (c) 16 May 2023 and (d) 16 June 2023 regarding his constituent, case reference JB40904.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I replied to the hon. Member on 30 June 2023.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which Minister in her Department is responsible for chess.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
A range of Government departments have an interest in chess. For example, the Department for Education would lead on chess in schools.
Within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, ultimately the Secretary of State would have overall responsibility, while other issues would fall to different Ministers depending on the nature of the issue. For example, the Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society would have an interest in questions related to promoting chess to young people outside school - while the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries would engage the gaming industry on online forms of chess.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 increase the early diagnosis of cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The earlier we diagnose cancer, the better the outcomes for patients.
That’s why we’re speeding up diagnosis of the most common cancers e.g., skin cancer with tele-dermatology, bowel cancer through Faecal Immunochemical Testing, and prostate cancer through multiparametric MRI; increasing targeted screening for breast cancer and lung cancer; investing in 160 new community diagnostic centres; and tackling variation in cancer waiting times around the country.
Thanks to the hard work of so many people in cancer services around the country, the NHS hit the ‘faster diagnosis standard’ for the first time in February.
And – looking ahead - we’re investing in innovations like the Galleri blood test which may be able to detect cancer before people even have symptoms.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to correspondence of 13 December 2022, 16 January 2023, 20 February 2023 and 22 March 2023 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay on a constituent, case reference JB38967.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I apologise for the delay in responding to my Hon. Friend’s correspondence. A response was issued on 24 April 2023.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to correspondence of 19 December 2022 and 9 January, 20 February and 13 March 2023 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay on a constituent with reference JB40073.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member. The correspondence has been transferred to the Government Legal Department who will respond directly.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to correspondence of 23 November and 21 December 2022 and 26 January and 28 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay on a constituent, reference JB339837 MC2022/24535.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 27 March 2023.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of (a) 8 November 2022, (b) 14 December 2022, (c) 11 January 2023 and (d) 20 February 2023 relating to a constituent with case reference JB38051.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
My hon. Friend, Kevin Hollinrake MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade, wrote to you on 8 March in response to your letter relating to a constituent with case reference JB38051.