Written questions by Darling.

What plans he has to tackle the backlog of cataract operations, including for those who need the operation to undertake driving exams.

Awaiting answer.

What progress has been made on the Cancer Plan commitment to define and count recurrent cancers, starting with metastatic breast.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his department has taken to make the drug Enhertu available for people with secondary breast cancer in England, following the increase in NICE’s cost effectiveness thresholds in April 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What information his Department holds on how many children are currently waiting for NHS speech and language therapy in the Devon Integrated Care Board area.

Awaiting answer.

What the average caseload per health visitor is (a) in the Devon Integrated Care Board area and (b) across all Integrated Care Board areas.

Awaiting answer.

What the average waiting time is between referral and commencement of NHS speech and language therapy for children aged 0–11 in the Devon Integrated Care Board area.

Awaiting answer.

How many women's health hubs have been established in NHS Devon ICB; and what services they provide.

Awaiting answer.

When he plans to publish the acquired brain injury action plan.

The Government recognises the significant and often life‑changing impact that acquired brain injury (ABI) can have on individuals and their families.The Department is currently working with NHS England and a range of stakeholders, including other Governme...

If he will extend Oliver McGowan training to include acquired brain injury.

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism has been developed with a specific and defined focus on learning disability and autism, and there are no plans to extend its scope to other conditions. Oliver’s Training has been desi...

How many qualified physician associates and anaesthesia associates are not in employment.

The independent Leng Review involved the College of Medical Associate Professionals, the United Medical Associate Professionals, and the Association of Anaesthesia Associates, as well as professional bodies representing doctors, in the development of its ...

What steps he is taking to consider the viewpoints of physician associates and anaesthesia associates in ongoing regulatory consultations since the Leng Review.

The independent Leng Review involved the College of Medical Associate Professionals, the United Medical Associate Professionals, and the Association of Anaesthesia Associates, as well as professional bodies representing doctors, in the development of its ...

Whether his Department involved the professional bodies UMAPs and CMAPs before its acceptance of the Leng Review recommendations; and whether it has consulted them since.

The independent Leng Review involved the College of Medical Associate Professionals, the United Medical Associate Professionals, and the Association of Anaesthesia Associates, as well as professional bodies representing doctors, in the development of its ...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of implementing the recommendations of the Leng Review on working relationships between doctors and (a) physician and (b) anaesthesia associates.

The independent Leng Review involved the College of Medical Associate Professionals, the United Medical Associate Professionals, and the Association of Anaesthesia Associates, as well as professional bodies representing doctors, in the development of its ...

Which ICBs have chosen not to allow GPs to prescribe weight loss injections.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are legally required to make funding available for medicines recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro, for the management of obesity through prim...

How many ICBs have chosen to make provision of Aquablation to treat enlarged prostates.

There is currently no mandate for aquablation to integrated care boards (ICBs), in line with the ICB responsibility to ensure high-quality care for their populations. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance provides information on aquab...

Whether he plans to mandate that all ICBs make provision of Aquablation as a procedure to treat enlarged prostates.

There is currently no mandate for aquablation to integrated care boards (ICBs), in line with the ICB responsibility to ensure high-quality care for their populations. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance provides information on aquab...

Which NHS Trusts are currently seeking redundancies from clinical staff.

The Department does not hold a central list of real-time information on which National Health Service trusts are taking forward redundancies. Decisions about workforce change, including any redundancy proposals, are matters for individual NHS employers, who must follow employment law and nationally agreed contractual arrangements. This includes appropriate engagement with trade unions and staff affected. Where organisations are reducing their workforce numbers and costs, they should take all reasonable steps to avoid compulsory redundancies, including restricting recruitment, managing vacancies and considering suitable alternative employment, to ensure any changes do not compromise patient safety or access to services. NHS England continues to work with integrated care boards and NHS trusts to support safe staffing and the delivery of patient services.

What steps his Department is taking to help support prisoners with long term dependency on drugs or alcohol with the management of withdrawal of drugs and alcohol.

NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England to the equivalence of the community. Access to drug or alcohol withdrawal support is available in all prisons at any stage of a person’s sentence, beginning at the point of entry.NHS England commissions first night reception screening to review patients’ medical history by a registered nurse/practitioner, the purpose is to address immediate health needs and risks, with specific consideration of intoxication and withdrawal risks, including delayed withdrawal symptoms, ensure medication is made available as soon as possible and onward referrals to onsite healthcare teams, including drug and alcohol services for psychosocial interventions and primary care for ongoing pharmacological interventions, for both urgent face to face appointments, and routine face to face appointments are made.Outside of reception screening, people in prison can be referred or self-refer to drug and alcohol or primary care health services at any time for support with withdrawal. The current national integrated substance misuse service specification includes specific focus on clinical stabilisation and detoxification for patients withdrawing from drugs and/or alcohol, ensuring that interventions are safe, risk aware, clinically led, evidence based and follow national guidance - including the recently published clinical guidance for alcohol treatment.

When he will respond to the referral from Torbay Council of the likely decision by Torbay Hospital to end the Integrated Care Organisation joint health and social care arrangements.

The Department has received the request from Torbay Council, and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will respond in due course.

How he plans to reward high-performing GP practices.

Practices that participate in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) are financially rewarded for achieving performance indicators. Indicators and thresholds are designed to be stretching, but attainable.QOF has been refined for 2026/27 to support more clinically effective patient care and to better align with updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.As well as traditional achievement thresholds, for 2026/27, practices are further incentivised to perform by having opportunity to earn QOF points through improving against their own baseline achievement for childhood immunisation indicators. This change is intended to recognise and reward practices, particularly those in more deprived areas that may not meet the existing achievement thresholds but demonstrate meaningful and sustained improvement in vaccination uptake.We are committed to ensuring that all practices receive appropriate support and resources. We are investing an additional £485 million in general practice in 2026/27, bringing the total spend on the GP contract to over £13.8 billion. This builds on last year’s £1.1 billion of investment.