Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the level of demand for haematology services in (a) England and (b) the North East of England; and what steps he is taking to ensure that resources are able to meet demand.

Since 1 April, NHS England has been responsible for securing high quality outcomes for patients with haematological conditions. It has published a number of service specifications for specialised haematological conditions, both for adults and children, which set out what providers should have in place to deliver evidence-based, safe and effective services. These specifications aim to ensure equity of access to a nationally consistent, high quality service for patients.

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for provision of non-specialist haematology services locally. Local commissioners work closely with providers to consider the most appropriate clinical model for the delivery of haematology services.