It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including in relation to the criteria for routing topics to the highly specialised technologies programme. The aim of any change to the criteria would be to clarify the type of medicine that would be eligible for the programme, in line with the vision set out in the NICE’s published topic selection manual. The NICE will consult publicly on any proposed changes to the criteria.

Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including in relation to the criteria for routing topics to the highly specialised technologies programme. The aim of any change to the criteria would be to clarify the type of medicine that would be eligible for the programme, in line with the vision set out in the NICE’s published topic selection manual. The NICE will consult publicly on any proposed changes to the criteria.

Supporting children and young people affected by cancer remains a priority for the Government. The scope of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, including stakeholder engagement, will be determined once the work of the taskforce begins, currently planned to start from Spring 2024.

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce is being set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This is dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people and will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing, treatment, and research and innovation.

Supporting children and young people affected by cancer remains a priority for the Government. The scope of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, including stakeholder engagement, will be determined once the work of the taskforce begins, currently planned to start from Spring 2024.

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce is being set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This is dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people and will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing, treatment, and research and innovation.

Data regarding the rate of public satisfaction with the National Health Service is publicly accessible, and is available at the following link:

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/institution/NHS

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care takes public perceptions of the NHS into account in her policy decisions. We have published recovery plans for elective services, urgent and emergency care, primary care and dental care, to improve access and performance of crucial NHS services.

Furthermore, we have made a great deal of progress in putting patients at the heart of care, through our recently announced programmes to expand choice, advanced care planning conversations, personal health budgets, and by providing more information to patients.

Data regarding the rate of public satisfaction with the National Health Service is publicly accessible, and is available at the following link:

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/institution/NHS

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care takes public perceptions of the NHS into account in her policy decisions. We have published recovery plans for elective services, urgent and emergency care, primary care and dental care, to improve access and performance of crucial NHS services.

Furthermore, we have made a great deal of progress in putting patients at the heart of care, through our recently announced programmes to expand choice, advanced care planning conversations, personal health budgets, and by providing more information to patients.

NHS England has provided funding for eight integrated care boards (ICBs) across the country to support the development and establishment of Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating (T1DE) services in every National Health Service region. Funding has been provided on a pump prime basis, and the responsibility for the longer-term sustainable provision of care for these patients sits with the relevant integrated care system.

A nationally commissioned evaluation has shown the positive impact that the provision of T1DE services can have for patients, including reductions in HbA1c, which is linked to reduced rates of diabetes complications, and reduced rates of emergency admissions.

It’s the role of the ICBs to consider the health needs of their populations, in making decisions about the care that is provided. It is expected that ICB leads consider these evaluation findings alongside the risk to patient health and wellbeing of the discontinuation of service provision, as well as other local contextual factors in making decisions about the future provision of T1DE services.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Evaluation by the National Health Service of the initial Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating service (T1DE) pilot sites, in London and Wessex, demonstrated a mean reduction in HbA1c of between 2.3% to 2.5%. Assuming that this level of reduction is maintained, the lifetime quality-adjusted life year gain of these services was estimated at 1.49, which would be cost effective up to a net lifetime cost of £29,800-£44,800.

In response to these initial evaluation findings, NHS England expanded the T1DE programme, supporting provision of new services in an additional five sites from September 2022, expanding coverage to more areas of the country. It is expected that these services will generate further evaluation data to consolidate these early findings, which can be used to inform national and local policy decisions.

NHS England is drawing on learning from existing T1DE services, other emerging evidence and the findings of the recent parliamentary inquiry, to ensure all areas of the country are supported to improve care for those identified as having T1DE. The emergence of these future plans are subject to future spending review settlements for the NHS and level of funding from the NHS England budget allocated to T1DE.

NHS England are also working closely with the first wave of pilot sites including London to ensure that the newer services can benefit from their learning and experience when considering local funding options in advance of March 2025, when the national funding for the five new sites will come to an end.

NHS England is assisting integrated care boards to develop local funding arrangements through the provision of evaluation data, a national programme of support workshops, and an online platform to share learning and good practice.

Evaluation by the National Health Service of the initial Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating service (T1DE) pilot sites, in London and Wessex, demonstrated a mean reduction in HbA1c of between 2.3% to 2.5%. Assuming that this level of reduction is maintained, the lifetime quality-adjusted life year gain of these services was estimated at 1.49, which would be cost effective up to a net lifetime cost of £29,800-£44,800.

In response to these initial evaluation findings, NHS England expanded the T1DE programme, supporting provision of new services in an additional five sites from September 2022, expanding coverage to more areas of the country. It is expected that these services will generate further evaluation data to consolidate these early findings, which can be used to inform national and local policy decisions.

NHS England is drawing on learning from existing T1DE services, other emerging evidence and the findings of the recent parliamentary inquiry, to ensure all areas of the country are supported to improve care for those identified as having T1DE. The emergence of these future plans are subject to future spending review settlements for the NHS and level of funding from the NHS England budget allocated to T1DE.

NHS England are also working closely with the first wave of pilot sites including London to ensure that the newer services can benefit from their learning and experience when considering local funding options in advance of March 2025, when the national funding for the five new sites will come to an end.

NHS England is assisting integrated care boards to develop local funding arrangements through the provision of evaluation data, a national programme of support workshops, and an online platform to share learning and good practice.

Reducing waiting times for the diagnosis and treatment for young people with cancer is a priority for the Government. On 6 February 2024 the Department announced the setup of a new Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to progress our mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This dedicated work, focusing on cancers affecting children and young people, will explore detection, diagnosis and genomic testing and treatment, as well as research and innovation.

Several organisations across England, including the Department, are taking steps to increase diagnosis rates. This includes setting stretching ambitions, supporting general practices (GPs) in referring patients, expanding diagnostic capacity, and enabling more precise diagnosis through technology.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance underpinning cancer referrals sets out detailed guidance for GPs on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending very urgent referral, an appointment within 48 hours, for those presenting with a range of potential cancer.

Backed by £2.3 billion of capital funding, the Department is expanding diagnostic capacity across the National Health Service by rolling out more community diagnostic centres (CDCs), delivering vital tests, scans and checks. With 153 CDCs open already and up to 160 set to open by March 2025, these offer millions of patients the chance to access quicker, more convenient checks outside of hospitals, with capacity prioritised for cancer.

In addition, the NHS now offers all children and young people with cancer whole genome sequencing, to enable more comprehensive and precise diagnosis, and access to more personalised treatments.

The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity.

UK officials have raised with the Taliban the recent arrest and detention of women and girls for not complying with strict dress codes and urged them to reverse discriminatory policies that target women and girls. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

We have repeatedly condemned Taliban policies and actions that restrict the rights of women and girls, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions. We will continue to work with the international community to press the Taliban to reverse course.

Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and HM Treasury. The NICE is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop its recommendations, and concluded a comprehensive review of the methods and processes it uses for health technology evaluation, in January 2022. The NICE carried out the review through extensive engagement with stakeholders, including officials within the Department. The NICE introduced a number of changes that make its methods fairer, faster, more consistent, and appropriate to the evaluation of emerging new technologies, such as cell and gene therapies.

The NICE is monitoring the impact of the changes following the methods review and has committed to considering modular updates to its methods and processes in the future, including a planned update focussed on health inequalities in 2024. The NICE has been able to recommend several advanced therapeutic medicinal products, including one-off gene therapies, for National Health Service funding that are now available to NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.

Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and HM Treasury. The NICE is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop its recommendations, and concluded a comprehensive review of the methods and processes it uses for health technology evaluation, in January 2022. The NICE carried out the review through extensive engagement with stakeholders, including officials within the Department. The NICE introduced a number of changes that make its methods fairer, faster, more consistent, and appropriate to the evaluation of emerging new technologies, such as cell and gene therapies.

The NICE is monitoring the impact of the changes following the methods review and has committed to considering modular updates to its methods and processes in the future, including a planned update focussed on health inequalities in 2024. The NICE has been able to recommend several advanced therapeutic medicinal products, including one-off gene therapies, for National Health Service funding that are now available to NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.

Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and HM Treasury. The NICE is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop its recommendations, and concluded a comprehensive review of the methods and processes it uses for health technology evaluation, in January 2022. The NICE carried out the review through extensive engagement with stakeholders, including officials within the Department. The NICE introduced a number of changes that make its methods fairer, faster, more consistent, and appropriate to the evaluation of emerging new technologies, such as cell and gene therapies.

The NICE is monitoring the impact of the changes following the methods review and has committed to considering modular updates to its methods and processes in the future, including a planned update focussed on health inequalities in 2024. The NICE has been able to recommend several advanced therapeutic medicinal products, including one-off gene therapies, for National Health Service funding that are now available to NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.

The Department regularly discusses a range of issues with colleagues in NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), related to patient access to new treatments.

The NICE appraises all new licensed medicines, and its recommendations are developed independently in line with its established methods and processes, on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence, and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NHS England is legally required to fund treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance.