Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many removals of surgical mesh have taken place at the University College London Hospital in each month since this service began.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are nine specialist mesh centres across England, ensuring that women in every region with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse gets the right support. Each mesh centre is led by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients get access to the specialist care and treatment that they need, including pain management and psychological support.
According to information held by NHS England, since going live in July 2021, there have been 281 surgical mesh removal operations at the University College London Hospital. Monthly data is not available due to very low patient numbers per month.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the average waiting times for mesh centres; and what steps he is taking to reduce this.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are nine specialist mesh centres across England, ensuring that women in every region with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse get the right support. Each mesh centre is led by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients get access to the specialist care and treatment that they need, including pain management and psychological support. NHS England publishes data on referral to treatment waiting times. This is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/
The Department does not hold information on the average waiting times specifically for mesh centres. Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission and we are taking steps to return to the 18-week standard. The Elective Reform Plan sets out how the National Health Service will reform elective care services and meet the 18-week referral to treatment standard by March 2029.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on (a) how much each mesh centre received in specialised commissioning funding and (b) how many removals took place in each month since this service began.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold information on how much each mesh centre received in specialised commissioning funding and on the number of removals that have taken place each month since the service began.
There are nine specialist mesh centres across England, ensuring that women in every region with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse get the right support. Each mesh centre is led by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients get access to the specialist care and treatment that they need, including pain management and psychological support.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department collects data on the number of people who (a) have been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer after finishing hormone therapy and (b) are living with secondary breast cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The National Disease Registration Service within NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England.
Using the data behind the Accredited Official Statistics on Cancer Registrations combined with Cancer Waiting Times data, there were 15,739 patients alive with metastatic breast cancer on 1 January 2023, which is the most recent estimation point available.
This estimate includes patients diagnosed with metastatic, or stage four, breast cancer, as well as breast cancer patients who were diagnosed at stages one, two, or three and who have had a referral for metastatic treatment or palliative care.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on skin cancer awareness campaigns in each of the last three financial years .
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of skin cancer. This advice is available publicly on the National Health Service website, at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/
The Department is not taking any additional steps, currently or within the last three years, to specifically fund skin cancer awareness campaigns.
NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS 10-year-plan will include measures to address excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. The engagement process has been launched, and as we work to develop and finalise the plan, I would encourage those concerned about excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation to engage with that process so we can identify what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on whether there are ongoing trials to assess whether continuing hormone therapy indefinitely after a primary breast cancer diagnosis would prevent this cohort of patients from going on to develop secondary breast cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24. Cancer is a major area of NIHR spend, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR has commissioned three current studies relevant to this issue, specifically:
The NIHR's Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) are networks of experts that work collaboratively between the National Health Service and internationally renowned universities. They facilitate early-stage experimental medicine research and support the translation of scientific discoveries. The BRCs are currently supporting a further two relevant studies:
The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
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 the potential implications for his policies of the frequency of sunburn in children and young people under 18.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on sun protection. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/
It includes guidance on the extra care that should be taken for babies and children.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people who developed secondary breast cancer after completing the 10-year recommended hormone therapy in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. The NDRS does not hold data on the number of people who developed secondary breast cancer after completing the 10-year recommended hormone therapy. Further information on the NDRS is available at the following link:
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
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 resolve the data challenges encountered in the NHS audit from 2006-2011 of the retrospective audit of pelvic mesh.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department accepted the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review’s recommendation to undertake a selective retrospective audit of a defined cohort of women who have undergone mesh procedures. NHS Digital, now NHS England, has audited all pelvic floor surgeries completed between 2006 and 2011 to generate a historical baseline of outcomes by procedure type, and to support further research and analysis. This audit was conducted using initial procedures, and re-operations and follow up procedures recorded within Hospital Episode Statistics data.
The results are currently undergoing peer review and will be published by NHS England at the earliest opportunity. NHS England expects to be able to notify users of a date for the publication via their publications calendar. Subject to peer review, the publication is expected to include information around data quality.