Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cancer Care

Tuesday 25 November 2025 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mr Connor Rand asked about the lack of mental health support for his constituent's wife who faced severe depression due to a terminal cancer diagnosis.
  • Dame Caroline Dinenage inquired about the inconsistency in offering high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment for prostate cancer at different hospitals across the country.
  • The Minister acknowledged the need for improving mental health care access for people with cancer and ensuring consistent high-quality care services nationwide.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Connor Rand Lab Altrincham and Sale West
NHS Mental Health
Context

The MP referenced a constituent's wife who battled cancer, highlighting the mental health challenges she faced without adequate support.

Question

My constituent Mike lost his wife to cancer, but as well as battling the physical symptoms, she faced devastating mental health effects, becoming deeply depressed after her terminal diagnosis. Despite that, she never received appropriate mental health support, and this significant issue for cancer patients should be addressed as part of our welcome reforms to palliative care. Could the relevant Minister meet me and Mike to discuss his campaign to improve mental health support for those with a terminal diagnosis?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

Of course, I am sorry to hear about the loss of my hon. Friend’s constituent’s wife, and our thoughts are with him and his family. My hon. Friend raises an excellent point, and we are supporting people with cancer who are experiencing poor mental health care by expanding access to psychological therapies through NHS talking therapies. I am sure that the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton), will be happy to talk to him as she develops her cancer plan to ensure that these issues are incorporated.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific timeline or concrete actions to meet with Mike and discuss his campaign for mental health support.

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Q2 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
NHS
Context

The MP highlighted a constituent's experience with successful HIFU treatment at Charing Cross hospital, while the same procedure is not available locally in Portsmouth.

Question

A constituent of mine recently had successful high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment for prostate cancer, which was at Charing Cross hospital because it is not even offered to men at Portsmouth hospitals, despite being a less invasive treatment with fewer long-term health implications. As if to underline that inequality, imagine his surprise when he turned up at the hospital and found that the same doctor who had diagnosed him in Portsmouth was actually carrying out the procedure in London. What more are the Government doing to ensure that there is no postcode lottery when it comes to HIFU, and what will the Minister do to ensure that more men can access it?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

I thank the hon. Lady for that question and for her work on this issue. She makes a really important point about consistency of care. We understand that services are different in different parts of the country—sometimes the needs are different—but we want to ensure that, where there is good practice and proven evidence, care is rolled out. As we say, bring the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS. I am sure that the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton), will take note of that point.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific actions or timelines to address the disparity in HIFU treatment access across different regions.

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