Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the rate of early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance Chronic kidney disease: Assessment and management [NG203], updated in November 2021, sets out best practice for clinicians in the diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The guidance covers: monitoring for those patients at risk; pharmacological management; and referral where appropriate. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng203
In addition to evidence-based guidance to support clinicians to diagnose problems of the kidney, we are also working to detect people at risk of kidney disease through the NHS Health Check Programme. The programme, which is available for everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 years old who are not already on a chronic disease register, assesses people’s health and risk of developing certain health problems. Using this information, patients are supported to make behavioural changes and access treatment which helps to prevent and detect kidney disease earlier.
We are investing in new delivery models for the NHS Health Check, including nearly £17 million for the development and roll-out of an innovative new national digital NHS Health Check available this spring, and will give people a choice about where and when to have a check.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed CKD and glomerulonephritis in 2011, concluding that a population-wide screening programme would not be recommended, and has not recently looked at the evidence for a targeted programme. The UK NSC can be alerted to any new peer-reviewed evidence published which may support the case for a new screening programme. Proposals to change or review a topic early can be submitted via the UK NSC’s annual call, which will open in July 2024. At present, there are no plans to expand national services in community pharmacy beyond the recently introduced Pharmacy First service.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve pancreatic cancer diagnosis in South Holland and The Deepings constituency.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working with NHS England to increase diagnosis of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, across England. This includes plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis, as set out in the Elective Recovery Plan published in February 2022. In addition, the Government awarded £2.3 billion at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years, most of which will help increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, prioritising CDCs for cancer services.
The National Health Service introduced the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), which aims to ensure patients have cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of urgent suspected cancer referral from a general practice (GP) or screening services. To achieve the FDS target NHS England are implementing non symptom specific pathways (NSS) for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, or combinations of non-specific symptoms, to receive the right tests at the right time. There are currently 113 NSS pathways live, with the aim to have full national coverage by 2025.
To encourage people to see their GP if they notice symptoms that could be cancer, NHS England runs the Help Us, Help You campaigns, which address the barriers that deter patients from accessing the NHS. In addition, the NHS has allocated £10 million to trial innovations that may support earlier and more efficient diagnosis, including a trial for the PinPoint blood test and a new genetic test that may be used as a liquid biopsy for those with suspected pancreatic cancer.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with NHS England on introducing a promotional campaign to help patients recognise early symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not had recent discussions with NHS England specifically on introducing a promotional campaign to recognise symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to increase early diagnosis and improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer. This includes providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk to identify lesions before they develop into cancer and diagnose cancers sooner, creating new pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms that could be linked to a range of cancer types, and increasing general practice direct access to diagnostic tests. A group has been formed to consider a pathway for Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary cancers, including pancreatic cancer.
On the 8 January 2024, NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaigns, designed to increase earlier diagnosis of cancer by reducing barriers to seeking earlier help, as well as increasing body vigilance and knowledge of key red flag symptoms. This campaign address barriers to people coming forward with suspected signs of cancer in general and is not specific to pancreatic cancer.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will increase the share of overall cancer research funding allocated to brain tumour research.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23.
The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists, rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Because of its importance, in May 2018 the Government announced £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) through the NIHR. Since the 2018 announcement, the NIHR has committed £11.3 million across 16 projects. All applications that were considered to be of fundable quality, by scientific peer reviewers, have been funded. To increase the quality, diversity and number of brain cancer research proposals the NIHR is working with the TJBCM and the research community to develop research capacity in the brain cancer community.
There is still funding available from the original £40 million announced in 2018. We are committed to funding high-quality brain cancer research, and we expect to spend more as new research progresses.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of measles have been reported in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands in each of the last five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes routine data on laboratory confirmed measles. As provided in the latest published data between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023, there have been eight laboratory confirmed cases in the East Midlands.
UKHSA does not routinely publish measles case data at local authority level, due to the risk of deductive disclosure. However, the total number of laboratory confirmed cases of measles in the East Midlands for the past five years is:
¾ 48 cases in 2019;
¾ four cases in 2020;
¾ zero cases in 2021;
¾ one case in 2022; and
¾ eight cases in 2023.
Data on monthly cases by age and region is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-epidemiology-2023/confirmed-cases-of-measles-in-england-by-month-age-and-region-2023
Data over the last five years is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-confirmed-cases/confirmed-cases-of-measles-in-england-and-wales-by-region-and-age-2012-to-2014
From the 1 October 2023 to the 6 February 2024 there have been 11 cases of measles in the East Midlands, provisional and subject to confirmation in the reference laboratory. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the rate of liver disease in (a) South Holland district, (b) South Kesteven district, and (c) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) publishes liver disease profiles that compare local areas within England. Data for the prevalence of liver disease is not collected. The profiles provide liver disease mortality and hospital admissions rates for local authorities to assess their level of disease.
The main findings for the South Holland Non-metropolitan District Council were that during 2022, the rate of mortality from liver disease in people under the age of 75 years old was 18.3, or between 10.8 to 28.9, per 100,000. In the financial year ending 2022 the hospital admission rate due to liver disease in all ages was 109.9, or between 50.8 to 178.0, per 100,000.
The main findings for the South Kesteven Non-metropolitan District Council were that during 2022 the rate of mortality from liver disease in people under the age of 75 years old was 13.3, or between 7.9 to 20.8, per 100,000. In the financial year ending 2022 the hospital admission rate due to liver disease in people of all ages was 80.9, or between 60.8 to 103.9, per 100,000.
The main findings from the profiles for Lincolnshire County were that during 2022 the rate of mortality from liver disease in people under the age of 75 years old was 19.5, or between 16.4 to 22.9, per 100,000. The Lincolnshire County rate was similar to the national mortality rate of 21.4 per 100,000. In the financial year ending 2022, the Lincolnshire County hospital admission rate due to liver disease in people of all ages was 144.3, or between 119.1 to 170.7, per 100,000 population. The Lincolnshire County hospital admission rate was similar to the national rate, of 150.6 per 100,000.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there has been a change in the number of qualified pathologists working in the NHS since 2020.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of Full-time Equivalent (FTE) doctors working in pathology specialties by grade, in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England in October 2020 and October 2023, as well as the change since 2020:
FTE | October 2020 | October 2023 | Change since October 2020 |
Consultants | 2,822 | 2,957 | 136 (4.8%) |
Specialty and Specialist doctors | 221 | 324 | 103 (46.7%) |
Specialty Registrar | 1,165 | 1,292 | 128 (11.0%) |
Core Training | 234 | 304 | 70 (30.0%) |
Source: NHS Digital Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce Statistics
Notes:
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of commencing a long term programme to remove asbestos from all (a) schools and (b) hospitals.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Individual National Health Service organisations are legally responsible for maintaining their estates. NHS England continues to work with trusts to ensure their estates are a safe environment for patients and staff. Where asbestos may pose a safety risk, such as when disturbed during building works, experts are brought in to safely dispose of it.
The Health and Safety Executive regulates schools’ compliance with legislation to manage their asbestos safely and the Department for Education follows their advice that, provided asbestos-containing materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, it is generally safest to manage them in place. The Department for Education supports schools in managing asbestos by providing capital funding, delivering rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of people who have received organ transplants in South Holland and The Deepings constituency in each year since 2010.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of people who have received organ transplants in South Holland and The Deepings constituency between 2010 and 2023.
Transplant Year | Number of Transplants |
2010 | 6 |
2011 | Fewer than 5 |
2012 | Fewer than 5 |
2013 | Fewer than 5 |
2014 | 14 |
2015 | Fewer than 5 |
2016 | 6 |
2017 | Fewer than 5 |
2018 | 6 |
2019 | Fewer than 5 |
2020 | 8 |
2021 | 5 |
2022 | 8 |
2023 | 6 |
Total | 78 |
Source: NHS Blood and Transplant, January 2024
Note: It is not possible to provide any specific figures less than five, so as to protect the identities of affected patients.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of providing language translators in (a) hospitals and (b) health centres in each year since 2010.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Translation and interpreting services for hospitals and health centres are commissioned by local National Health Service organisations who may hold this data.
The Department and NHS England have not estimated the potential cost to the public purse of these services used by the NHS.
Section 13G of the National Health Service Act 2006 states NHS England must have regard to the need to reduce inequalities between patients, including with respect to access to health services. NHS England guidance stipulates that where language is a problem in discussing health matters a professional interpreter should always be offered. It is the responsibility of NHS service providers to ensure interpreting and translation services are made available to their patients free at the point of delivery.