Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cancer Treatment: Waiting Times

Tuesday 25 April 2023 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Greg Smith asked about steps to ensure new radiotherapy equipment reaches frontline NHS hospitals with sufficient staffing.
  • Greg Smith inquired about the faster diagnosis standard being met for the first time in February and investments in early cancer detection.
  • Meg Hillier questioned the work being undertaken on genome sequencing for better treatment of brain cancers.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
NHS
Context

Recent data shows that 42.6% of cancer patients in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB are waiting more than 62 days for treatment.

Question

What steps is my right hon Friend taking to ensure that new cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment is making it to the frontline coupled with a fully staffed workforce to operate it and save lives?

Answer from Steve Barclay

We have 810 more consultant training places over three years, grants for more than 1,000 nurses to train in chemotherapy, and 1,400 new recruits to the cancer diagnostic workforce. This sits alongside expansion in capacity including surgical hubs and expanded diagnostic centres.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Steps to ensure radiotherapy equipment reaches frontline was not specifically addressed.

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Q2 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
NHS
Context

Recent data shows that 42.6% of cancer patients in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB are waiting more than 62 days for treatment.

Question

In February, the faster diagnosis standard was met for the first time. In addition, we are investing in additional screening, testing and tech in order to detect cancer much earlier.

Answer from Steve Barclay

In February, the faster diagnosis standard was met for the first time. We are investing in additional screening, testing and tech to detect cancer earlier.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps to reduce waiting times were not addressed.

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Q3 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch
NHS
Context

A constituent had emergency surgery for a brain tumour after six months of going to the doctor repeatedly with problem headaches. Brain cancer causes 9% of cancer deaths but accounts for only 1% of cases.

Question

What work is being undertaken on genome sequencing which could have a major impact on better treatment for brain cancers?

Answer from Steve Barclay

We have invested in Genomics England and 100,000 babies are being screened. The Minister for Health and Secondary Care recently hosted a roundtable with key stakeholders on that issue.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on genome sequencing for brain cancer were not provided.

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