Written questions by Farron.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that funding for radiotherapy cancer treatments addresses regional inequalities in access to (a) advanced radiotherapy techniques and (b) radiotherapy satellite centres; and if he will include an assessment the potential implications for his policies of such inequalities in the NHS 10 year plan.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include considering adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas. This includes radiotherapy treatment. The Government will work to ensure that the best standard of healthcare is available no matter where people live.Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the National Health Service is there for anyone who needs it whenever they need it. We have established 11 working groups to take forward policy development that will feed into the plan. This includes working groups focused on how care should be designed and delivered to improve healthcare equity, alongside ensuring that access to healthcare services is effective and responsive.

With reference to paragraph 2.71 of the Autumn Budget 2024, how the £70 million for new radiotherapy machines will increase access to (a) adaptive radiotherapy and (b) other forms of modern radiotherapy.

The funding for new radiotherapy machines will be used to replace outdated machines, and allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England has developed. The new machines will support the recovery of cancer waiting times and help ensure that patients have access to the most up-to-date treatments.

When the radiotherapy tariff was last updated; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential need for further updates.

The NHS Payment Scheme (NHSPS) replaced the national tariff from 1 April 2023. Following consultation, some amendments have been made for 2024/25, which came into effect on 1 April 2024. The amendments in the 2024/25 NHSPS included specialist radiotherapy services. In September 2024, a revised set of 2024/25 prices was published, which includes radiotherapy services and workforce tariffs. These prices have been updated to reflect a revised cost uplift factor for 2024/25.NHS England held a series of workshops in October 2024 to set out, and seek feedback on, potential proposals for the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, and other aspects of the NHS finance system expected to come into effect from 1 April 2025.

What steps he is taking to help recruit social care workers in Cumbria.

We are launching a national recruitment campaign in February to encourage suitable candidates to apply for immediate vacancies by highlighting the varied and rewarding work available. We have also introduced legislation to deliver the first Fair Pay Agree...

How many people in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency received radiotherapy treatment at the Rosemere Cancer Centre Royal Preston Hospital in each month in each of the last four years.

The Department does not hold information regarding how many patients from a particular constituency are treated in a specific hospital. Data regarding radiotherapy treatment is published monthly by NHS England.

What information his Department has on the average waiting time for young people to receive a first appointment for child and adolescent mental health services in (a) South Cumbria, (b) Lancashire

The following table shows the mean and median average waiting times between referral and first contact for children and young people aged under 18 years old, in the nearest equivalent local authority areas, for April to September 2024:Local authority area...

Whether her Department has a planned timetable for when services in Helme Chase Maternity Unit at Westmorland General Hospital will be reopened.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for integrated care boards and local healthcare systems, in cases of specialised and national services. All service changes should be based on clear evidence, clinically led, and involve engagement with patients...

How many and what proportion of (a) young people have seen a dentist in the last 12 months and (b) adults have seen a dentist in the last two years.

In England in 2023/24, the number and proportion of adult patients seen in the 24 months up to the end of June 2024 was 18.4 million, or 40.3% of the adult population. The number and proportion of child patients seen in the 12 months up to the end of June...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of ward 6 at Westmorland General Hospital on (a) social care provision and (b) hospital bed availability throughout the University

Responsibility for decisions about the delivery, funding, and implementation of services ultimately rests with the National Health Service commissioner, and it is important that integrated care systems operate with a high degree of autonomy in making deci...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a specialist 21-day pancreatic cancer treatment pathway.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a specialised 21-day pancreatic cancer treatment pathway. NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to improve early diagnosis and treatment for pa...

Whether his Department is planning to take steps to implement (a) a national screening programme and (b) other early diagnosis initiatives 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 will harm some me...

What plans he has to (a) expand radiotherapy services and (b) waiting times for radiotherapy treatments.

The Government knows that cancer patients are waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set...

What plans he has to help (a) recruit and (b) retain a social care workforce in Cumbria.

The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive. We are committed to ensuring the adult social care workforce feels supported and recognised, and that there are opportunities to develop and progres...

Whether he plans to expand the dental recruitment incentive scheme beyond the seven surgeries in the scheme in NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

NHS England has published guidance for practices on the Golden Hello incentive scheme, which will encourage dentists into under-served areas through bonus payments of up to £20,000 to work there for up to three years. More information is available at the ...

Whether he plans to expand the additional roles reimbursement scheme for primary care to include funding for (a) additional GPs and (b) associated reimbursement schemes for related roles.

The Government is investing £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified general practitioners (GPs), via the Additional Roles reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), so patients can get the care they need. The ARRS is subject to annual review a...

If he will have discussions with the management of the University Teaching Hospital of Morecambe Bay Trust on the closure of the Helme Chase maternity unit at the Westmorland General Hospital.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for integrated care boards and the local National Health Service in cases of specialised and national services. All service changes should be based on clear evidence, clinically led, and involve engagement with ...

How much NHS England spent on (a) fees and (b) other costs for work by Niche Health and Social Care Consulting in relation to urology services at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust in (a) 2019/20, (b) 2020/21 and (c) 2021/22.

The following table shows how much NHS England spent on fees and other costs for work by Niche Health and Social Care Consulting, in relation to urology services at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMB), in 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22:Activity commissioned2019/202020/212021/22 FeesVATFeesVATFeesVATIndependent investigation into urology services at UHMB£58,870.15£11,774.04£541,812.75£108,362.58£335,690.66£67,138.13

How much NHS England has spent on (a) fees and (b) any other costs with Niche Health and Social Care Consulting for urology services at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust in the financial year (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24 and (iii) 2024-25 to date.

The following table shows the expenditure by NHS England on fees and other costs from Niche Health and Social Care Consulting for urology services at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, each year since 2022/23, including VAT:YearInvoice amount2022/23£225,584.582023/24£02024/25£0

How much NHS England spent on (a) fees and (b) any other costs with Niche Health and Social Care Consulting in the financial year (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24 and (iii) 2024-25 to date.

The following table shows expenditure by NHS England on fees and other costs with Niche Health and Social Care Consulting, each financial year from 2022/23 to 2024/25:YearInvoiced amount2022/23£1,894,931.492023/24£1,691,549.242024/25£503,306.92Total£4,089,787.65