Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 help ensure that eligible women take up breast cancer screening in Sutton Coldfield constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through our National Health Service screening programmes, we can reduce mortality and morbidity from cancer in the population who appear healthy and have no symptoms, by detecting conditions at an earlier, more treatable stage. Each year, over 15 million people are invited for screening, with over 10 million taking up the invitation.
In Birmingham and Solihull, between 2022/23 and 2023/24 there has been an improvement of 4.93% in breast cancer screening uptake in 53 to 70 year old people.
In Sutton Coldfield, the breast screening is offered to all eligible cohorts in line with service specifications of the NHS Breast Screening Programme. In this constituency, uptake and coverage are stable and constituents can access screening at both static and mobile facilities. There is a dedicated focus on reducing health inequalities, supporting access, and informing eligible patients to actively take up their screening appointment and offer.
The breast screening service in Sutton Coldfield is currently undertaking a targeted text messaging initiative targeting eligible patients that have not attended their screening invitation. This includes the offer to rebook their screening appointment and a link to bilingual breast screening videos to support education and awareness. A follow-up text message survey is also being used to explore barriers to attendance and motivating factors, with insights informing ongoing service development.
Other initiatives to increase uptake in the area include:
a dedicated general practice toolkit to support and inform health promotion messaging;
a breast screening resource pack for care homes to support staff in promoting screening awareness and facilitating uptake amongst eligible residents; and
a cancer bus initiative promoting a range of services including breast cancer screening.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1271, what metrics his Department uses to measure geographic inequalities in cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival; which regions perform worst on early diagnosis and cancer outcomes; whether he will bring forward interventions to targeted the worst performing areas; and how his Department monitors and reports steps it is taking to help reduce such geographic disparities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department monitors geographic inequalities in cancer diagnosis and treatment through the NHS Cancer Waiting Time Standards, for which data is published at integrated care board and provider level. The NHS England Acute Provider Table for all 134 providers supports this transparency.
Early diagnosis is monitored through NHS England’s annual publication of early diagnosis data in England, the Case-mix Adjusted Percentage of Cancers Diagnosed at Stages 1 and 2. Early diagnosis data is published for England as a whole and for the integrated care boards. Survival data is monitored through NHS England's annual publication of cancer survival data in England. Cancer survival data is published for England as a whole, for the National Health Service regions, integrated care boards, and Cancer Alliances for 21 selected cancers. The index of cancer survival for all cancers is published for England, integrated care boards, and Cancer Alliances.
The Department recognises that outcomes remain poorest in some deprived, rural and coastal areas, where rates of early diagnosis and cancer survival are lower. To support improvement, the Government has provided £200 million of ring‑fenced funding for Cancer Alliances in 2026/27 to help the lowest‑performing trusts strengthen diagnostic pathways and reduce delays.
The Department monitors progress through regular oversight with NHS England, tracking improvements in early diagnosis and treatment standards across regions. These measures underpin our commitment to reducing geographic disparities so that a patient’s chances of survival do not depend on where they live.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 75 of the policy paper entitled A National Cancer Plan for England: delivering world class cancer care, whether it is his policy that patients with rare cancers should be offered targeted and personalised therapies where genomic testing identifies a suitable potential treatment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out clear actions to expand diagnostic genomic testing and ensure that this is matched by access to targeted therapies. The plan confirms that every cancer patient who would benefit from genomic testing, including those with rare cancers, will receive it within a clinically relevant timeframe.
To support timely access to treatments identified through genomic testing, a new joint National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency process from April 2026 will accelerate licensing and appraisal so that National Health Service funding recommendations can be made more quickly. The expansion of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service will also help identify suitable targeted therapies, connect patients to clinical trials faster, and integrate genomic data into the Single Patient Record by 2028.
With reference to page 75 of the National Cancer Plan, it is Government policy that patients with rare cancers should benefit from personalised and targeted therapies where genomic testing identifies a suitable option. The plan also strengthens specialist multidisciplinary teams for rare cancers so that patients can access expertise from specialist centres and the most up‑to‑date evidence‑based treatments.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Cancer Plan, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that there will be enough pathologists to support the Plan’s delivery.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan sets out how we will strengthen the cancer workforce, including for diagnostics, such as pathology. The plan sets out sustainable workforce growth, focused not on simply expanding numbers but on ensuring staff are properly trained, supported, and able to work at the top of their skills.
The plan sets out how we will support pathologists to work more efficiently through a £604 million investment in digital diagnostics, including digital pathology, and £96 million in the automation of histopathology, as well as further investment in digital technology and artificial intelligence. Expansion of advanced clinical practice for scientists will also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the pathology workforce as a whole.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will be published in spring, setting out further action to create a workforce able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1271 on Improving Cancer Care and Early Diagnosis, when bowel cancer screening invitations will be issued via the NHS App; what proportion of eligible patients currently use the App; what steps he is taking to help ensure that digitally excluded groups will continue to be supported; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the trend in the levels of uptake in digital screening; and what safeguards exist to help ensure no eligible patients miss screening invitations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst there is an increasing move towards digital National Health Service communications, NHS letters remain crucial for many patients, particularly those who may be digitally excluded, therefore, they will always be included in the screening offer. For bowel screening, NHS England currently uses NHS Notify which sends pre-invitations via the NHS App first, and if that message isn't read or the person doesn't have the app, a paper letter is sent. Everyone will still get sent a bowel cancer screening home testing kit through the post after pre-information, with information on completing the kit.
National roll out of digital pre-invitations is planned over the next couple of months, following a regional pilot last year. From that pilot, NHS England saw approximately 30% of people receive these communications via the NHS app. Based on other similar services, NHS England expects this to increase when other digital communications such as SMS are introduced.
National rollout has already been completed in cervical screening with positive results, where approximately 90% of invites are received via the NHS App or SMS.
Impact on the uptake of screening will be monitored over at least a six-month period to allow people time to take up their screening offer. To date, no negative impact has been indicated, but NHS England is monitoring closely to assess.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 ensure that the expansion of diagnostic genomic testing for cancer is accompanied by timely NHS access to targeted therapies identified by that testing, including where such therapies are not routinely commissioned.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out clear actions to expand diagnostic genomic testing and ensure that this is matched by access to targeted therapies. The plan confirms that every cancer patient who would benefit from genomic testing, including those with rare cancers, will receive it within a clinically relevant timeframe.
To support timely access to treatments identified through genomic testing, a new joint National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency process from April 2026 will accelerate licensing and appraisal so that National Health Service funding recommendations can be made more quickly. The expansion of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service will also help identify suitable targeted therapies, connect patients to clinical trials faster, and integrate genomic data into the Single Patient Record by 2028.
With reference to page 75 of the National Cancer Plan, it is Government policy that patients with rare cancers should benefit from personalised and targeted therapies where genomic testing identifies a suitable option. The plan also strengthens specialist multidisciplinary teams for rare cancers so that patients can access expertise from specialist centres and the most up‑to‑date evidence‑based treatments.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the recent review by the UK National Screening Committee of evidence on prostate cancer screening considered the potential value for money of adopting (a) shorter and (b) simplified MRI protocols, including biparametric MRI, to reduce unit costs of prostate cancer screening in NHS settings.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average national unit cost is to the NHS for a local anaesthetic transperineal prostate biopsy, used in prostate cancer detection; and how that cost is calculated.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of changing the national curriculum to increase awareness of cancer prevention amongst pupils in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It is important to educate people about causes and symptoms of cancer, and we are supportive of efforts to do this at an early age.
Revised relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance was published on 15 July 2025. Cancer awareness and other specific cancer-related content is included. At secondary school, as part of their studies on health protection and prevention and understanding the healthcare system, pupils will be taught the importance of taking responsibility for their own health, including regular self-examination and screening.
Schools may teach about cancer awareness in other areas of the current national curriculum. The secondary science curriculum ensures pupils are taught about non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, and the impact of lifestyle factors. In design and food technology, schools should highlight the importance of nutrition. We are developing a new national curriculum with teachers, curriculum experts, pupils and parents, which schools will start teaching from September 2028.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many wave one schemes under the New Hospital Programme have begun construction.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Of the 16 schemes in Wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme (NHP), the Derriford Emergency Care Hospital commenced construction in October 2025. Poole Hospital and the remaining stages of Brighton 3Ts hospital (for the Sussex Cancer Centre) are in the pre-construction period and are expected to enter main construction later this year.
The remaining 13 schemes continue to progress to main construction commencing as set out in the plan for implementation, available at the following link: