On the provision of NT-proBNP point-of-care testing, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 June 2025 in response to Question 54244. More broadly, the Cardiovascular Diesease Modern Service Framework sets out the Department's approach to prevention and reduced hospital admissions and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

However, the Department does not hold the specific estimate requested.

On the provision of NT-proBNP point-of-care testing, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 June 2025 in response to Question 54244. More broadly, the Cardiovascular Diesease Modern Service Framework sets out the Department's approach to prevention and reduced hospital admissions and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

However, the Department does not hold the specific estimate requested.

It is for local National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards to determine how their tongue division services are funded and commissioned, as well as the referral criteria. NHS England does not have national guidance, nor monitor waiting times for tongue-tie services.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence sets out guidance on tongue-tie, including advising that an assessment for tongue-tie should be considered if there are feeding concerns.

The interim report of the independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism found that access to support is too often slow, fragmented, and heavily dependent on having a diagnosis. Where support depends heavily on a formal diagnosis, demand for assessment can outstrip capacity, contributing to long waits, repeated assessments, and pressure on services. Diagnosis remains essential to inform treatment and enhance understanding, but the review is considering how people can receive appropriate support earlier and according to need. Its final report will make recommendations for the Government, the health system, and wider public services.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Effective early identification and support is critical to improving outcomes for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with autism.

We have proposed the introduction of National Inclusion Standards, which will support education settings to identify and respond to needs earlier and more consistently, drawing on a broad range of evidence and professional expertise, so that all children and young people can receive the support they need to achieve and thrive.

The National Inclusion Standards will be underpinned by a £200 million training package to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with SEND, and a new investment of £3.7 billion to drive more inclusive school estates and create additional specialist places.

We will continue to engage closely with young people, parents and professionals as we develop our reforms and how they will work in practice. The department also engages with the devolved governments at ministerial and official level on a range of areas covering education, skills and family policies and will continue to do so.

NHS England has developed eLearning on trauma-informed care and Perinatal Mental Health Birth Trauma to support professionals involved in perinatal care.

The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is developing a National Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan, within which maternal mental health is an area of focus, reflecting Baroness Amos’ recommendation for further consideration.

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

We will publish the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to set a clear direction and a long-term blueprint to improve outcomes for people with dementia. It will cover research, diagnosis and treatment. We are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with frailty and dementia.

We will also appoint a Dementia Tsar to bring strong and meaningful national leadership to drive forward the prevention, treatment and care of dementia.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 200 cancer clinical indications.

From April 2026 NHS England has been embedding a new operating model for delivery of the NHS GMS through seven NHS GMS Lead Providers. Each NHS GMS will deliver a cancer genomics clinical function to bring together multi-profession leadership to embed and drive improvements in end to end cancer genomics pathways and deliver genomic testing in clinically relevant turnaround times. The programme also includes expanding the number of cellular pathology genomic centres to streamline the cancer diagnostic sample pathway and support timely return of genomic test results to inform clinical management and enable cancer patients to access innovative therapies.

In addition, the National Cancer Plan identified diagnostic technologies as a strategic research priority for improving survival rates for those living with or treated for cancer. The Office for Life Sciences has funded a primary care intervention study via the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment Programme to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of the use of multi-cancer detection tests in primary care to support future commissioning of diagnostic biomarkers in diagnostic pathways.

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

NHS England’s Medium Term Planning Framework, published in October 2025, sets out a national ambition to improve access to primary care and reduce unwarranted variation. This includes ensuring that 90% of clinically urgent patients, such as those with aggressive and/or life-limiting conditions, are dealt with on the same day.

NHS England is driving the transformation of diagnostics services across the National Health Service. These services will grow their digital capability and become more efficient. They will have new and replacement equipment that will make tests quicker and increase the numbers of patients that get faster access to a test.

NHS England is also expanding community diagnostics centres (CDCs) and other community-based diagnostic services, so more patients can benefit from the increasing numbers of diagnostic services and gain access closer to home and via their general practitioner. CDCs are equipped to provide diagnostic tests for aggressive and/or life-limiting conditions.