Written questions by Dowd.

What steps he is taking to improve early diagnosis of bipolar.

The standard of training for general practitioners and other health care practitioners is the responsibility of the independent statutory regulatory bodies. They set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses, and higher education institutions, which write and teach the curricula that enables their students to meet the regulators’ outcome standards.Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasize the skills and approaches a health care practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and appropriate treatment plans for their patients, including those with bipolar disorder.Once qualified, health care practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This should include taking account of new research and guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high-quality care to all patients.The community mental health framework sets out a vision for transforming community mental health services. The vision is a whole person, whole population approach to community health services, with new integrated models between primary and secondary care that can deliver more flexible, personalised, and holistic care, including diagnosis, for more people with severe mental illnesses such as bi-polar disorder, rather than developing specialist pathways for specific conditions.Since April 2021, all areas have received significant additional, ring-fenced funding to develop these new integrated primary and community mental health services, built around primary care networks, in line with the community mental health framework. Local health systems have made significant progress in rolling out these integrated models of care, including for people with a diagnosis of bi-polar disorder.

What steps he is taking to improve training for healthcare professionals to better (a) recognise and (b) diagnose bipolar.

The standard of training for general practitioners and other health care practitioners is the responsibility of the independent statutory regulatory bodies. They set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses, and higher education institutions, which write and teach the curricula that enables their students to meet the regulators’ outcome standards.Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasize the skills and approaches a health care practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and appropriate treatment plans for their patients, including those with bipolar disorder.Once qualified, health care practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This should include taking account of new research and guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high-quality care to all patients.The community mental health framework sets out a vision for transforming community mental health services. The vision is a whole person, whole population approach to community health services, with new integrated models between primary and secondary care that can deliver more flexible, personalised, and holistic care, including diagnosis, for more people with severe mental illnesses such as bi-polar disorder, rather than developing specialist pathways for specific conditions.Since April 2021, all areas have received significant additional, ring-fenced funding to develop these new integrated primary and community mental health services, built around primary care networks, in line with the community mental health framework. Local health systems have made significant progress in rolling out these integrated models of care, including for people with a diagnosis of bi-polar disorder.

Whether he plans to introduce specialist bipolar pathways in NHS mental health services.

The standard of training for general practitioners and other health care practitioners is the responsibility of the independent statutory regulatory bodies. They set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses, and higher education institutions, which write and teach the curricula that enables their students to meet the regulators’ outcome standards.Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasize the skills and approaches a health care practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and appropriate treatment plans for their patients, including those with bipolar disorder.Once qualified, health care practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This should include taking account of new research and guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high-quality care to all patients.The community mental health framework sets out a vision for transforming community mental health services. The vision is a whole person, whole population approach to community health services, with new integrated models between primary and secondary care that can deliver more flexible, personalised, and holistic care, including diagnosis, for more people with severe mental illnesses such as bi-polar disorder, rather than developing specialist pathways for specific conditions.Since April 2021, all areas have received significant additional, ring-fenced funding to develop these new integrated primary and community mental health services, built around primary care networks, in line with the community mental health framework. Local health systems have made significant progress in rolling out these integrated models of care, including for people with a diagnosis of bi-polar disorder.

Whether he is taking steps to improve the usage of sunscreen of factor 30 and above.

The Department would advise that people to the follow the National Health Service guidance on using sunscreen, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/ The NHS England website is clear on the benefits of sunscreen, and the importance of using sunscreen that is of factor 30 and above.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of sunbed usage by adults.

The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) published a report on the health effects and risks arising from sunbeds in 2009. This report included a chapter on sunbed use in the United Kingdom, and informed the 2010 Sunbeds (Regulation) Act.In November 2024, the Department commissioned COMARE to consider the available evidence relating to the use of sunbeds in the UK, and to determine if a new review is required. This work is ongoing, and its conclusions will be made publicly available when completed.

What steps his Department is taking to promote awareness of skin cancer (a) prevention measures, (b) signs and (c) symptoms.

The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of skin cancer. This advice is available publicly on the National Health Service website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/ The Department is not taking any additional steps, currently or within the last three years, to specifically fund skin cancer awareness campaigns.NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.

What assessment he has made of the progress of work under the UK Rare Diseases Framework; and what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that rare disease continues to be a health priority.

A rare disease is defined as a disease or condition which affects fewer than one in 2,000 people within the general population. While they are individually rare, they are collectively common, and one in 17 people will be affected by a rare disease at some...

If his Department will take steps with local Integrated Care Boards to help ensure that rare disease services are delivered according to the priorities set out in the Rare Disease Framework.

The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets a high-level strategy to focus action across the healthcare system to address the four priorities of: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; ...

Whether his Department plans to take steps to prioritise improvement of care for (a) rare blood disorders and (b) other rare and ultra-rare conditions.

Improving the lives of people living with rare and ultra-rare conditions, such as rare blood disorders, continues to be a health priority. We remain committed to the UK Rare Diseases Framework, which highlights four priorities to improve the lives of peop...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the National Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria Service for care coordination for people with rare diseases; and what steps his

The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities to improve the lives of people living with rare diseases, such as Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria (PNH). This includes the priority of improving co-ordination of care.NHS England commissions ser...

What resources are available to support care coordination across (a) geographical areas and (b) disciplines for rare and ultra-rare conditions.

We remain committed to the UK Rare Diseases Framework, which highlights better coordination of care as a priority to improve the lives of people with rare diseases.Under England’s Rare Diseases Action Plans, we have committed to a range of measures to imp...