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Written Question
Lung Cancer: Screening
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans NHS England has to update the standard protocol for the Targeted Lung Health Check programme to reflect work carried out by the National Screening Committee’s lung cancer screening task group.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The standard protocol for the Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) programme was last updated in November 2022, with the protocol and quality assurance standards being regularly reviewed by the programme’s Expert Advisory Group.

When the TLHC protocol is next updated, it will take into account feedback received since the last update, including work carried out by the UK National Screening Committee’s lung cancer screening task group. The focus of the task group has been to support the feasibility of the rollout of a national targeted lung cancer screening programme, and developing aspects of planning and implementation.


Written Question
Lung Cancer: Screening
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish an assessment of the CT scanner capacity required to support the national roll-out of lung cancer screening by 2028.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is responsible for the roll out of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme, and has no plans to publish an assessment of the computed tomography scanner capacity required.


Written Question
Hospitals: Older People
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital admissions for patients aged 65 and over were the result of a fall in 2012-13.

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

NHS England published information on finished consultant episodes for admitted patients in 2012/13, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/hospital-episode-statistics-admitted-patient-care-england-2012-13

This shows in 2012/13, there were 283,794 finished consultant episodes relating to a fall, where the patient was 65 years old or over.


Scheduled Event - 21 Mar 2024, 5 p.m. - Add to calendar
View Source
Commons - Adjournment - Main Chamber
Trailer and towing safety
MP: Karin Smyth
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 21 Mar 2024
Trailer and Towing Safety

Speech Link

View all Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South) contributions to the debate on: Trailer and Towing Safety

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 21 Mar 2024
Trailer and Towing Safety

Speech Link

View all Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South) contributions to the debate on: Trailer and Towing Safety

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 21 Mar 2024
Trailer and Towing Safety

Speech Link

View all Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South) contributions to the debate on: Trailer and Towing Safety

Written Question
Osteoporosis: Screening
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)

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 community diagnostic centres carried out DEXA scanning in 2023; and how many DEXA scans were conducted in community diagnostic centres (a) in total and (b) in each centre.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans were recommended as part of the Sir Mike Richards Diagnostics Recovery and Renewal report as an additional service that could be offered in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in addition to the core recommended services, and provision of it in CDCs will be determined locally.

As of the end of December 2023, 15 CDCs had reported carrying out DEXA scanning in 2023. The number of CDCs operational at the end of December 2023 was 141. The proportion of the total number of CDCs offering DEXA scans, therefore, was 10.6% as of the end of December 2023.

The total number of DEXA scans conducted in CDCs from 1 January to 31 December 2023 was 25,879. This is published monthly as of April 2023 as part of NHS Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity Data (DM01), which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/

We do not hold the number of DEXA scans in each CDC in the format requested and this data can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 20 Mar 2024
Access to Migraine Treatment

Speech Link

View all Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South) contributions to the debate on: Access to Migraine Treatment

Written Question
Lung Cancer: Screening
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)

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 additional resources required in (a) primary care, (b) thoracic surgery and (c) systemic anti-cancer therapy clinics following the implementation of a national lung cancer screening programme.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is responsible for the roll out of the NHS Targeted Lung Cancer Screening Programme, and work is underway to assess any potential additional resources that may be required at a national level. Primary care capacity has not been directly estimated by NHS England as the impact on capacity is mainly through the identification of incidental findings that require follow-up. This is highly dependent on existing local services and practices, and numbers are not held nationally.

The assessment on thoracic surgery is complex as some surgery would still be required in the absence of screening. In addition, requirements of systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) clinics are equally complex, although some clinics will be required for those diagnosed through the targeted lung cancer screening programme, once fully implemented, the programme could deliver a reduction in SACT demand for patients no longer diagnosed at the latest stage.