Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cancer Treatment

Tuesday 14 April 2026 · 7 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

  • Government is investing 70 million for 28 new radiotherapy machines across the country
  • A feasibility study is underway for a radiotherapy machine in Weston general hospital
  • The national cancer plan aims to increase medical training places in rural and coastal regions

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
NHS

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support the treatment of cancer patients.

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

We are backing cancer patients with a plan to end the postcode lottery that was baked in by the previous Tory Government due to chronic underfunding. We have already announced that more cancer specialists will be allocated to rural and coastal areas, increasing capacity where it is most needed. Over the past year, around 39,000 more people started their cancer treatment within 62 days, compared with the 12 months prior to the 2024 election.

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Q2 Dan Aldridge Lab Weston-super-Mare
NHS
Context

John Kiely, a constituent of Dan Aldridge's, is campaigning for a radiotherapy machine in Weston general hospital. Cancer patients from Weston-super-Mare must travel up to 90 minutes by car or over three hours by public transport to Bristol for their treatment.

Question

Weston-super-Mare, a growing town with a population like that of Bath, has cancer patients who need to make lengthy round trips to Bristol for radiotherapy. My constituent John Kiely is leading a campaign for a radiotherapy machine in Weston general hospital. A feasibility study is underway. Can Ministers outline how we can secure support for this and improve treatment experience?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

Too many patients face difficulties accessing radiotherapy, including my hon. Friend's constituent John Kiely. This Government have invested £70 million for 28 new radiotherapy machines across the country and allocated £15 billion in operational capital to local priorities and £5 billion to support a return to constitutional standards on waiting times. Local systems are expected to use this funding to deliver further investment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Securing specific support for Weston general hospital's radiotherapy machine campaign was not addressed directly.

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Q3 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
NHS
Context

The cancer plan commits to filling NHS workforce gaps in coastal towns like East Thanet, including Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. These communities have seen a postcode lottery affecting access to the best possible cancer care.

Question

Welcoming my hon. Friend to her place, I note the commitment in the cancer plan to address NHS workforce shortages in coastal areas such as East Thanet. Can she update us on progress made towards closing these gaps?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

My hon. Friend's work for her coastal community is commendable. The national cancer plan aims to ensure timely access to high-quality diagnostic and treatment services by increasing medical training places in rural and coastal regions, saving 320,000 lives over a decade and delivering the fastest improvement in UK cancer survival.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific progress on closing workforce gaps in coastal areas like East Thanet was not addressed directly.

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Q4 Seamus Logan SNP Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
NHS

Question

Cancer patients, like so many other patients, are worried and concerned about the resident doctors strike in England, which is reportedly costing around £50 million a day, not to mention its impact on waiting lists. Meanwhile, in Scotland, we have a Health Secretary and a Government who are competent in negotiations and have none of this industrial action. The final bill for this industrial relations shambles could be as high as £3 billion. What can the Secretary of State reveal to the House about the special skills he has in dealing with the BMA?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

Patients are 30 times more likely to wait two years for care in Scotland than in England. Labour has ended austerity and provided Scotland with the biggest funding increase since devolution. The question is: where has the money gone?

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Q5 Graham Stuart Con Beverley and Holderness
NHS

Question

May I pursue the point about coastal communities and cancer care? A young dad in Withernsea, a coastal town in my east Yorkshire constituency, went to the doctor repeatedly saying that there was something wrong with him and was repeatedly told that he was fine, before being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. He survived, but only just. What, in real terms, will happen to ensure that communities such as those in Withernsea can see decent cancer care and proper diagnosis, especially given that, as was pointed out by my right hon. Friend the Member for Goole and Pocklington (David Davis), Hull university teaching hospitals NHS trust is one of the worst-performing trusts in the country?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

The national cancer plan is a key part of our work to build an NHS fit for the future, and it explains how we will make England a world leader in cancer outcomes. The right hon. Gentleman’s constituents will now be able to see a GP much sooner than they could before the 2024 election, which will ensure that they can get that earlier diagnosis, which is the only thing that will help them to survive and live longer.

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Q6 Caroline Johnson Con Sleaford and North Hykeham
NHS
Context

The previous Secretary of State promised to double medical school places and publish a comprehensive NHS workforce plan, but these promises appear to have been abandoned. There is ongoing concern about the quality of cancer care due to workforce shortages.

Question

Before the election, the Secretary of State said that he would double the number of medical school places and provide thousands more medical training jobs, but now it appears he has rowed back on these promises. The NHS workforce plan was promised for summer 2025 and then autumn 2025, yet we are in spring 2026. When will the workforce plan be published? Does the Secretary of State still intend to double the number of medical school places?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

We are well aware that there are issues with the workforce across the NHS, which is why we are working on a new workforce plan. This plan will be published very soon.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific commitment to double medical school places was not addressed

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Q7 Caroline Johnson Con Sleaford and North Hykeham
NHS
Context

There is concern that the new triage system for NHS referrals may lead to a set proportion of patients being rejected, potentially compromising patient safety. The Minister previously stated that referrals would no longer be triaged by consultants.

Question

The Government appear to have decided that referrals will no longer be triaged by a consultant and that a set proportion will be rejected. What evidence do the Government have that this system is safe? If a set proportion of patients are to be rejected, does this mean doctors must change their clinical thresholds? What evidence supports the safety of these changes?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

Unlike the Conservative party, we trust our GPs. This will be consultant-led advice and guidance, on which GPs will then decide.

Not addressed: The specific question about evidence for safety was not addressed; instead, a general statement about trusting GPs was provided

How: Changed Subject To Trust In Gps

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