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 merits of rolling out lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes nationally, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.

There has not been a specific national assessment of the roll out of lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel-occlusion.

The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities and foster innovation where it is needed most.