Written questions by Kaur.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) medical support for and (b) access to medical support for people with Crohn's disease (i) in England and (ii) in Southampton.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also produced a range of guidance on IBD, Crohn’s disease and colitis, to support early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions. It ensures that the care provided to people with IBD is based on the best available evidence. In the last two years, NICE has recommended four new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, namelt Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Mirikizumab and Etrasimod.NHS England’s National Bladder and Bowel Health Project is delivering better care for people with IBD, with a focus on developing clinical pathways. NHS England commissions specialised colorectal services nationally to support equity of access to high-quality treatment for patients with IBD requiring complex surgery. This work is supported within NHS England by the clinical leadership of the Specialised Colorectal Services Clinical Reference Group, which is made up of experts in surgery, medicine, radiology, pathology and nursing, alongside patient and public voice representatives.To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms and how to support patients with IBD.

What information his Department holds on the number of undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases and conditions in young people; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases and conditions on young people.

Data on the number of undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases and conditions in young people is not held centrally as these conditions are undiagnosed. The National Health Service, however, offers screening to young persons, those aged under 35 years old, where a family member has suffered from a sudden cardiac death. The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young offers subsidised cardiac screening to all young people aged between 14 and 35 years old and may hold data on the number of young people requesting screening outside of the NHS.NHS England published in 2017 a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC), which defines the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England. This specification covers young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease. The aim of the ICC services is to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with ICCs.NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of the review, including NHS clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. NHS England does not have a national audit programme for ICCs, and therefore no treatment data is held centrally.

What steps he is taking to help improve diagnostic rates for cardiovascular conditions and diseases in young people in (a) Southampton and (b) England.

The Government is committed to tackling the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), and our Health Mission sets an ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade. The 10-Year Health Plan, once published, will set out the Government's overarching vision for delivering the critical shift from a focus on treating illness to preventing conditions such as CVD.Specific national strategies targeting the improvement of CVD diagnostic rates in children and young people are not featured in current public health programs. However, NHS England’s work emphasises the importance of early intervention and prevention across all age groups, and is committed to improving CVD care and outcomes through enhanced diagnostic support in the community, better personalised planning, and increased access to disease-specific rehabilitation.Southampton City Council’s Children and Young People’s Strategy 2022-2027 outlines how they will invest in prevention, working with schools and communities to identify needs and deliver services as early as possible. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy similarly focuses on promoting healthy choices and behaviours in children to reduce CVD risk factors. The Government and NHS England will support local leaders to make the best choices to meet the needs of their local populations.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve lobular breast cancer outcomes.

Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including lobular breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets, so that no patient waits longer than they should.The NHS Breast Screening Programme offers all women in England between the ages of 50 years old and their 71st birthday the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer, to help detect abnormalities and intervene early to reduce the number of lives lost to invasive breast cancer.The Department invests £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.We are proud to have invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer.The NIHR funds research on cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment and care, which saves lives. NIHR funds research in response to proposals received and would welcome applications from researchers on lobular breast cancer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the roll-out of Oxevision in mental health hospitals on patient wellbeing.

NHS England has commissioned a rapid evidence review of vision based monitoring systems, which is available at the following link:https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-024-03673-9These insights have been used to work in partnership with people with lived experience, clinicians, and stakeholders to develop national guidance, which will be published imminently.

What steps he is taking to increase awareness of sepsis prevention (a) nationally and (b) in each local NHS trust.

Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test and presentation can vary, making it difficult to diagnose. Early intervention can prevent further deterioration of acutely unwell patients, to help mitigate negative outcomes.Recent evidence suggests that there is h...

What steps he is taking to support social workers.

We support social workers through our existing initiatives such as bursaries, which is the main funding route to support students studying Higher Education Institute courses, and the Assessed Supported Year in Employment, which provides support and assess...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) level and (b) quality of support provided by (i) GPs and the (ii) wider medical profession to women experiencing (A) peri-menopausal and (B) m

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service. Evidence from the women's health strategy call for evidence in 2021 identified difficulties accessing care due to lack of recognition of symptoms from bot...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing car-parking charges for NHS patients and staff.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of removing car-parking charges for National Health Service patients and staff.All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking to in-need groups, which include NHS staff working ...

What steps his Department is taking to increase the survival rate of blood cancer patients.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent ...

What information his Department holds on regional variations in (a) the speed of diagnosis and (b) health outcomes for blood cancer patients.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent ...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) speed and (b) accuracy of blood cancer diagnoses.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer, to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent ...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to require all vaping products to be (a) sold in plain packaging and (b) kept out of sight behind the counter.

As set out in the Kings Speech, the Government will soon introduce legislation which will impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes, and stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will give ministers’ powers...

What steps he is taking to help improve outcomes for skin cancer patients.

To improve outcomes for skin cancer patients, NHS England is undertaking a number of interventions. This includes funding and programme management to support local cancer alliances in achieving the Faster Diagnosis Standard for skin cancer. NHS England pr...

What steps he is taking to help improve outcomes for glioblastoma brain tumour patients.

NHS England and the Department are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for glioblastoma brain tumour patients. NHS England has worked with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to designate centres of excellence in the management of brain tumour...