Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

10-Year Cancer Plan

Tuesday 6 December 2022 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jim Shannon asked the Minister when the Department would publish the 10-year cancer plan, noting delays and unacceptable waiting times for cancer patients.
  • The Minister confirmed that diagnostic activity would receive due recognition in the 10-year cancer strategy following the call for evidence.
  • Maggie Throup questioned the Minister about plans to address the backlog of patients, to which the Minister responded with details about setting up 91 community diagnostic centres to provide more diagnostic tests.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
NHS
Context

The Department of Health had planned to publish a 10-year cancer plan, but it has been delayed.

Question

When his Department will publish the 10-year cancer plan. While the Government have delayed, cancer patients have faced unacceptable waiting times for diagnosis and treatment. I ask the Minister respectfully: does she agree that we in this House and the people of this country now need a long-term, ambitious plan to reduce waits and ensure that cancer patients in this country have the best outcomes possible? Will she set out a timeline—not just say “shortly”—for delivering such a plan?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

I cannot comment on what is happening in Northern Ireland because health is a devolved matter. In England, we are investing £8 billion over three years to clear the elective backlog and are seeing record numbers of patients. Despite delays in cancer waiting times, 91% of patients receive treatment within 31 days compared with 87% in Northern Ireland. We will update the House shortly on the timeline for delivering the 10-year cancer plan.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline or ambitious plan as requested

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
NHS
Context

Diagnostic activity is crucial for the treatment of cancer patients, forming part of over 85% of clinical pathways.

Question

Will my hon. Friend confirm that diagnostic activity will receive due recognition in the 10-year cancer strategy?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

My hon. Friend's points will be taken on board as we go through responses to the call for evidence and update the House shortly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm that diagnostic activities will receive due recognition in the plan

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Q3 Maggie Throup Con
NHS
Context

A constituent was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme and experienced delays in accessing scans due to NHS backlogs.

Question

What plans does the Minister have to make sure that the 10-year cancer plan really gets to grips with the backlog, which is devastating people's lives?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

We are setting up 91 community diagnostic centres to provide a range of tests, including CTs, ultrasounds and MRIs. We expect to deliver up to 160 community diagnostic centres in total with the capacity for up to 9 million more scans per year when they are fully operational.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address plans specifically for tackling backlogs and delays

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Q4 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch
NHS
Context

Cancer is a leading cause of death for children under 14, and there are numerous instances of failure and missed opportunities in detection, treatment, and care.

Question

Does the Minister agree that we need a childhood cancer mission embedded in any cancer strategy if we are serious about saving other families from tragedy?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

We will update the House shortly on our progress regarding a child cancer mission following my meeting with Charlotte Fairall, who tragically lost her daughter Sophie.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific support or timeline for embedding a childhood cancer mission in the plan

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Q5 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
NHS
Context

The government has delayed publishing a cancer plan despite concerns about waiting times for diagnosis and treatment.

Question

While the Government have delayed, cancer patients have faced unacceptable waiting times for diagnosis and treatment. Despite delays in waiting times, 91% of patients receive treatment within 31 days compared with 87% in Northern Ireland in June.

Answer from Maria Caulfield

We are not waiting for a cancer plan to start on backlogs: that is why this Government are investing £8 billion over three years to clear the elective backlog.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline or ambitious plan as requested

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