Written questions by Jogee.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of palliative care services available to people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.Additionally, NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those their local population, including the ability to filter the available information, such as by deprivation, thereby enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities.The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

What steps he plans to take to help improve men's health; and if he will use the upcoming Men's Health summit to commission a new men's health strategy consultation.

The Government's mission is getting the National Health Service back on its feet, so that it is there for everyone. The Government looks forward to its discussions with everyone interested in men’s health, to hear views and ideas on how to improve outcomes for men. We are developing a 10-Year Health Plan so that we are better able to meet the needs of the population, including men.The forthcoming men’s health summit will help inform the Department on future actions.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of support for (a) children and (b) adults with cystic fibrosis in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire.

No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of support for children and adults with cystic fibrosis in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.NHS England commissions 47 specialised cystic fibrosis centres for adults and children across England, in addition to supporting the optimal monitoring of patients with cystic fibrosis at home, and supporting best practice in remote consultations. Service specifications published by NHS England clearly define the standards of services, care, and outcomes that people can expect from these centres. Service specifications aim to deliver improvements to life expectancy and quality of life for adults and children with cystic fibrosis.Services for children and adults with cystic fibrosis in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire are provided by multi-disciplinary teams at the North West Midlands Cystic Fibrosis Centre. Further information is available at the following link:https://nwmcfc.nhs.uk/NHS England recently produced the RightCare Cystic Fibrosis Toolkit which is supporting service improvement and better care for patients with cystic fibrosis. The toolkit is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/rightcare-cystic-fibrosis-toolkit/The Midlands region will be undertaking a review of local services over the coming months, based on the recommendations in the toolkit.

What steps he is taking to tackle gambling-related suicide in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government has committed to tackling suicide. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health workers, and these new staff will be specially trained to support people at risk from suicide. The five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy for England identifies gambling as a common risk factor, lists actions to reduce suicides as a result of gambling, and will explore opportunities to go further.The Government is committed to reducing gambling-related harms through regulatory reform to strengthen protections. Through the Health Mission, we are supporting people to live healthier lives for longer, with a greater emphasis on the prevention of avoidable health harms. We continue to work closely with Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to consider how best to achieve this. The Department of Health and Social Care is focused on ensuring that those experiencing gambling-related harms can access the right care at the right time. We are working closely with NHS England to capitalise on opportunities to improve and expand treatment and support services.

What recent discussions he has had with the School and Public Health Nurses Association on the adequacy of school nursing provision.

Government officials meet regularly with the School and Public Health Nurses Association and have attended two recent roundtable events, as well as the launch event for their report entitled The Forgotten Frontline.We are committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever and recognise the critical role that school nurses play in supporting children, young people, and families. Our Chief Public Health Nurse Office has recently established a programme of work which aims to improve the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme, which includes school nursing. This will include a review of the school nursing workforce data in England, which then can be considered as part of our longer-term workforce planning.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of school nursing services in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

No assessment has been made by the Department. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning school nursing services based on local need and evidence. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities provides both commissioning guidance and a service framework through the Healthy Child Programme.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a screening programme for prostate cancer on patient outcomes.

Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC). This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm men, as some of them would be diagnosed with a cancer that would not have caused them problems during their life. This would lead to additional tests and treatments which can also have harmful side effects, for example incontinence of faeces and urine, and impotence.The UK NSC is undertaking an evidence review for prostate cancer screening and plans to report within the UK NSC’s three-year work plan. The evidence review includes modelling the clinical cost effectiveness of several approaches to prostate cancer screening, including different potential ways of screening the whole population from 40 years of age onwards and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact on patient outcomes in (a)Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England of introducing a screening programme for prostate cancer.

Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC). This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm men, as some of them would be diagnosed with a cancer that would not have caused them problems during their life. This would lead to additional tests and treatments which can also have harmful side effects, for example incontinence of faeces and urine, and impotence.The UK NSC is undertaking an evidence review for prostate cancer screening and plans to report within the UK NSC’s three-year work plan. The evidence review includes modelling the clinical cost effectiveness of several approaches to prostate cancer screening, including different potential ways of screening the whole population from 40 years of age onwards and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.

If she will take steps to ensure that improving respiratory health of people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England is central to the NHS Long-term Plan.

The Ten Year Health Plan will consider the change needed to meet the three health mission goals: a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer; a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, including respiratory diseases. We will carefully consider policies with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to defibrillators in (a) Newcastle-under -Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

No assessment has been made on the adequacy of access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in Newcastle-under -Lyme or Staffordshire. The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply, and will go to applications for AEDs in areas where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.

What assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of rates of late diagnosis of prostate cancer; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle those rates.

No such assessment has been made. We recognise that late diagnosis of cancers, including prostate cancer, can impact treatment options, reduce a patient’s chances of survival, and potentially increase the cost of effective treatments. NHS England is taking steps to raise awareness of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. For example, NHS England partners with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people through projects in the heart of their communities. On 8 January 2024, NHS England also relaunched the Help Us Help You campaign for cancer, designed to increase earlier diagnosis of cancer by reducing barriers to seeking earlier help, as well as increasing body vigilance and knowledge of key red flag symptoms.Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees. This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen. The UK National Screening Committee is currently undertaking an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, and plans to report within its three-year work plan. The evidence review includes modelling of several approaches to prostate cancer screening, which includes different potential ways of screening the whole population from 40 years of age onwards, and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher than average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.In addition, we are working with Prostate Cancer UK to launch the TRANSFORM trial. The £42 million nationwide screening study will compare the most promising tests to look for prostate cancer in men that do not have any symptoms.

Whether he plans to tackle (a) poor indoor air quality and (b) its impact on the health and wellbeing of people in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England.

Air pollution has reduced significantly since the 1980s, but remains one of the most significant environmental risks to public health in the United Kingdom. Improving the environment in which we live, work, and play is critical to supporting people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department continues to work collaboratively across Government on ways of improving both indoor and outdoor air quality.The UK Health Security Agency supports the development of evidence on the health impacts of indoor air quality on health. Its Cleaner Air Programme includes efforts both to build the evidence base and to raise awareness of indoor air quality and its health impacts, especially in settings such as homes, schools, and public places.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published guidance on indoor air quality at home, designed to raise awareness of the importance of good air quality in people's homes and advise on how to achieve this. We will continue to work across Government on air quality as part of the Health Mission.

What immediate term steps his Department is in addition to the Transform Trial to (a) speed up and (b) improve the efficiency of diagnostic pathways in prostate cancer.

The Government is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive with better outcomes, including for those with prostate cancer. The Department is supporting the NHS in taking steps to speed up and improve the efficiency of diagnostic pathways.Since October 2023, the NHS has implemented the updated cancer waiting time standards to ensure patients receive timely diagnosis and treatment. The update included the removal the two week wait standard which only ensured patients were seen by a clinician within two weeks, without a timeline of further investigations towards receiving a result. The two-week wait standard was replaced with the faster diagnosis standard (FDS) which ensures a patient receives their cancer diagnosis or has cancer ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral.To achieve the FDS, NHS England has streamlined cancer pathways, including implementing a best-timed prostate cancer diagnostic pathway so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric MRI scan first, which ensures only those men most at-risk undergo an invasive biopsy. Best practice timed pathways support the on-going improvement effort to shorten diagnosis pathways, reduce variation, improve experience of care, and meet the FDS.Furthermore, the NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme published guidance in April 2024 to support the implementation of good practice in management of prostate cancer, which includes ensuring the diagnostic pathways for prostate cancer were implemented from primary care setting to secondary care presentation.

What steps his Department is taking, alongside the Transform Trial to (a) speed up and (b) improve the efficiency of diagnostic pathways in prostate cancer in the short term.

The Government is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive with better outcomes, including for those with prostate cancer. The Department is supporting the NHS in taking steps to speed up and improve the efficiency of diagnostic pathways.Since October 2023, the NHS has implemented the updated cancer waiting time standards to ensure patients receive timely diagnosis and treatment. The update included the removal the two week wait standard which only ensured patients were seen by a clinician within two weeks, without a timeline of further investigations towards receiving a result. The two-week wait standard was replaced with the faster diagnosis standard (FDS) which ensures a patient receives their cancer diagnosis or has cancer ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral.To achieve the FDS, NHS England has streamlined cancer pathways, including implementing a best-timed prostate cancer diagnostic pathway so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric MRI scan first, which ensures only those men most at-risk undergo an invasive biopsy. Best practice timed pathways support the on-going improvement effort to shorten diagnosis pathways, reduce variation, improve experience of care, and meet the FDS.Furthermore, the NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme published guidance in April 2024 to support the implementation of good practice in management of prostate cancer, which includes ensuring the diagnostic pathways for prostate cancer were implemented from primary care setting to secondary care presentation.