Ashley Dalton

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention, and for sharing his lived experience. I am more than happy to consider his suggestions and discuss them further. Finally, I will touch on the encouraging work of the early surveillance for autoimmune diabetes—ELSA—programme. Type 1 diabetes is not preventable, but the sooner we reach people, the sooner we can care for them. ELSA is a children’s screening programme that can detect type 1 diabetes through a simple fingerstick blood test by looking for four antibodies associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes. ELSA launched in November 2022, and over 20,000 children have already taken part. The study has made a huge effort to screen all of those children by February, and we are still waiting to hear whether that ambitious target has been reached. I would be pleased to keep my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase and the House updated on that programme. It is clear that T1DE is a serious and often overlooked condition that requires a more integrated and compassionate approach to care. The work being done through NHS pilot programmes, investment in diabetes management, and advances in technology all represent meaningful progress, but there is still much more to do. It is vital that we continue to build on the evidence gathered through these initiatives to ensure that people with T1DE receive the tailored, consistent and supportive care they deserve. No patient should feel like a number in the system, or be forced to navigate a fragmented approach to their health. By working together through Government, the NHS and charities, we can ensure that people with T1DE receive the right support at the right time. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend to get this done. Question put and agreed to.