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Blood Tests: Innovation

Asked by Sir Oliver DowdenConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 26 November 2025UIN 90757

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote NHS innovation in liquid biopsies.

Answered by Dr Zubir Ahmed

The Government is committed to funding innovative technologies, including multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests such as liquid biopsies, to improve early cancer diagnosis rates for cancer patients in the National Health Service. The Office for Life Sciences’ Cancer Healthcare Goals programme is providing funding for a National Institute for Health and Care Research led trial to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of MCD tests in primary care for patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms. The programme has also provided £2.35 million of funding to support the research and development of the miONCO-Dx multi-cancer early detection test, which can identify 12 of the most lethal and common cancers at even the earliest stages of the disease course.

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