Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve support for people with postural tachycardia syndrome in Surrey Heath constituency.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to meet the care and support needs of people diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). Patients living in the Surrey Heath constituency would be covered by either the NHS Frimley ICB or the Surrey Heartlands ICB. ICBs are responsible for commissioning services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations and, in doing so, we expect them to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet their patients’ needs.

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and waiting times down, including in Surrey Heath. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of PoTS, including in Surrey Heath, enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.