Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cancer Waiting Times and Outcomes

Tuesday 6 June 2023 · 10 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 8 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mary Glindon raised concern over delays in meeting targets for timely cancer diagnosis and treatment, noting that nearly three in four people were diagnosed or given the all-clear within two weeks in March, ahead of the 28-day target, and nine in 10 patients started treatment within a month.
  • Holly Mumby-Croft inquired about the progress of allocating 40 million pledged for brain tumour research funding, with the response indicating that funds are available for quality bids that meet the National Institute for Health and Care Research standard.
  • Chris Bryant noted that while figures on diagnosing people with cancer are improving, the number of people waiting for treatment after a confirmed cancer diagnosis has worsened, with the figures now the worst on record, reaching 19,000 people.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mary Glindon Lab Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
NHS
Context

Discussion about improving cancer care, focusing on faster diagnosis and treatment.

Question

What steps he is taking to improve cancer waiting times and outcomes. The MP noted concern over current statistics showing delays in meeting targets for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Answer from Steve Barclay

We are diagnosing and treating patients faster. In March, nearly three in four people were diagnosed or given the all-clear within two weeks—ahead of the 28-day target—and nine in 10 patients start treatment within a month.

Answered
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Q2 Kate Hollern Lab
NHS
Context

Case of Elliott Simpson who was misdiagnosed with a water wart, leading to late-stage cancer diagnosis. Delays at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Question

In May last year I wrote to the then Health Secretary and the Prime Minister about the case of a young man in my constituency, Elliott Simpson, who was misdiagnosed with a water wart in a telephone consultation with a GP. When Elliott was finally able to see someone face-to-face, he found that he had late-stage skin cancer. He passed away on 28 April, aged just 27. Between January and March this year, both the two-week wait target and the 62-day target were missed at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. Does the Secretary of State accept that delays are costing lives?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The whole House will be hugely saddened to learn of the passing of Elliott, especially at such a tender age. The hon. Lady is right to highlight the importance of speedy diagnosis, and I was pleased that we met the faster diagnosis standard in February for the first time and again in March, with three in four patients receiving their diagnosis within two weeks and nine in 10 starting treatment within a month.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not directly answer whether delays are costing lives, instead focuses on recent improvements.

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Q3 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
NHS
Context

Programme called Active Together which provides pre-surgery and post-surgery support to cancer patients.

Question

When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma six years ago, my GP gave me two pieces of advice: keep positive and keep active. The other day, I visited the wellbeing centre in my constituency, which is run by Sheffield Hallam University, the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Yorkshire Cancer Research. It is putting on a programme called Active Together to which people who are diagnosed with cancer can be referred by their consultant and have a bespoke programme of treatment involving physical activity, nutrition and psychological support to prepare them for surgery, and a programme after surgery to help them recover. Would the Secretary of State like to come to my constituency to visit this novel and innovative programme to see how it could be rolled out across the country and treat more cancers well in this way?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting and important point. How we better equip patients pre-surgery and post-surgery, how we look at their wellbeing—the keep positive bit and the social prescribing—and how we think about being active are all are hugely important. I would be keen to learn more about the programme that he highlights and for either me or one of the ministerial team to follow up on his offer.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not commit to visiting but expresses interest in learning more.

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Q4 Holly Mumby-Croft
NHS
Context

Report by the all-party parliamentary group on brain tumours found that only £15 million of pledged £40 million has reached researchers.

Question

In March, the all-party parliamentary group on brain tumours published its report into research funding, which found that only about £15 million of the £40 million pledged has made its way into the hands of the researchers. Can the Secretary of State set out what we can do to fix these challenges in the funding system so that we can get that money into the hands of the researchers and improve those outcomes?

Answer from Steve Barclay

I welcome the fact that my hon. Friend has raised this point, because the £40 million of funding is available. That money is there, ready to allocate to quality bids. All the bids that have met the National Institute for Health and Care Research standard have been funded, but she is right to say that there is more money available and we stand ready to work with researchers to get that money allocated as soon as those quality bids come in.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not specify measures or timeline for addressing funding challenges.

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Q5 Mary Glindon Lab Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
NHS
Context

Analysis by Cancer Research UK projects cancer cases will rise to over half a million new cases per year by 2040.

Question

Analysis by Cancer Research UK projects that, by 2040, cancer cases will rise to over half a million new cases a year. Will the Secretary of State confirm when the NHS long-term workforce plan will be published, that it will set out transparent projections for workforce need for the next five, 10 and 15 years, and that it will be fully funded to ensure that there are enough staff to deliver timely diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The hon. Lady is correct to say that demand for cancer services is increasing. We have seen demand up a fifth recently. That is why, alongside the long-term workforce plan, to which we are committed—the Chancellor set out that commitment in the autumn statement—we are also putting over £5 billion of investment into diagnostic centres, surgical hubs and equipment in order to better provide, alongside the workforce, the skills and equipment we need to treat cancer.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not confirm publication date or specific details about projections.

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Q6 John Baron Con
NHS
Context

Discussion about the need to embrace section 5 to encourage NHS to improve early diagnosis.

Question

What assurance can the Secretary of State give that both the letter and the spirit of section 5 of the Health and Care Act 2022 will be embraced to encourage the NHS to improve early diagnosis and therefore cancer survival rates by focusing on outcome measures such as the one-year survival rate, so that we can start catching up with international averages when it comes to survival?

Answer from Steve Barclay

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who has long championed this issue. Indeed, he secured an amendment to the Health and Care Act as part of that campaign. We will be fulfilling our obligation by including an objective on cancer outcomes when we publish the next mandate to NHS England, and I hope he will see that as a welcome step.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not provide concrete assurance or specific steps.

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Q7 Maggie Throup Con
NHS
Context

Success of the covid vaccine roll-out in vaccinating hard-to-reach cohorts.

Question

To improve cancer waiting times and outcomes, and learning from the success of the covid vaccine roll-out where hard-to-reach cohorts were vaccinated in everyday settings such as shopping centres and football stadiums, will my right hon. Friend look at locating more community diagnostic centres away from formal clinical settings in hospitals and taking them out into the community?

Answer from Steve Barclay

This is an innovative and exciting development, thinking about how we offer services in different ways and bring those services to patients much more locally. The community diagnostic centres are a huge step forward in that, but we should also be looking at our engagement with employers, at how we use more tests at home and at the successes we have had, for example, with some of the screening programmes in order to offer more services closer to patients.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not commit to locating centres away from hospitals.

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Q8 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
NHS
Context

The question was prompted by the increasing number of patients waiting for cancer treatment, with a record high of 19,000 people currently waiting. Previous reports indicate that an additional week's delay in starting treatment can increase the risk of death by 10%. The MP is concerned about the government's focus on positive statistics while neglecting these critical issues.

Question

The figures on diagnosing people with cancer are certainly improving, but what is getting worse and has got significantly worse in the last three months is the starting of treatment for people who definitely have cancer. The figures are now the worst on record, with 19,000 people waiting for treatment, and all the evidence suggests that waiting another week adds 10% to the likelihood of death. Can I please urge the Minister not always to give the rosy, good statistics but to face up to the fact that there are real dangers in the statistics, too?

Answer from Steve Barclay

I know the hon. Gentleman takes a very close interest in this, and we can all see that there is a shared desire to meet the increasing demand. He recognises the progress on diagnostics. Nine in 10 patients are starting treatment within a month, and the all cancer survival index for England is steadily increasing, but I agree that there is much more still to do, which is why we are investing in diagnostic centres, surgical hubs and the long-term workforce plan. I am very happy to continue working with him and other colleagues as we meet this ongoing challenge.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address the specific statistic of 19,000 people waiting for cancer treatment or commit to a timeline or action plan to reduce delays.

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Q9 Virginia Crosbie
NHS
Context

The question was prompted by the work of the Chemocare Bags charity in providing support materials to patients starting chemotherapy at Ysbyty Gwynedd. The charity's efforts include preparing bags containing comfort items such as socks, books, mints, and lip salve.

Question

Does the Minister agree that one of the ways we can improve cancer care and outcomes is by supporting brilliant charities such as Chemocare Bags? Emma Hart and her team do an outstanding job of putting together bags, which include fluffy socks, puzzle books, colouring books, mints and lip salve, for those starting chemotherapy at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.

Answer from Steve Barclay

I am very happy to join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to all those who support Chemocare Bags for the fantastic work they do. That sort of support makes a real difference to patients, and the NHS benefits hugely from the work of volunteers, including those at Chemocare Bags.

Answered
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Q10 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
NHS
Context

The question was prompted by the Tory party's consistent failure to meet England's cancer treatment target since 2013. Last year, 66,000 patients waited more than two months for their first treatment following an urgent GP referral. The UK now has the worst cancer survival rate in the G7.

Question

As my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Sir Chris Bryant) pointed out, the brutal truth is that the Tories have consistently missed England's cancer treatment target since 2013. Last year, 66,000 cancer patients waited more than two months for their first treatment following an urgent GP referral, and the UK now has the worst cancer survival rate in the G7. Labour will give the NHS the staff, the technology and the reform it needs, and we make no apologies for expecting cancer waiting times and diagnosis targets to be met once again. That is our mission. Why is theirs so unambitious?

Answer from Steve Barclay

We are making significant progress. The hon. Gentleman specifically mentions GP referrals, and there were more than 11,000 urgent GP referrals for suspected cancer per working day in March 2023, compared with just under 9,500 in March 2019, so we are seeing more patients. Let me give an indication of how we are innovating on cancer. We have doubled the number of community lung trucks, which means the detection of lung cancer at stages 1 and 2 is up by a third in areas with the highest smoking rates. In the most deprived areas, we are detecting cancer much sooner, and survival rates are, in turn, showing a marked improvement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address the specific statistic of 66,000 patients waiting more than two months for treatment or commit to meeting targets.

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