Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Cancer Care

14 March 2023 · 6 other contributors · 8,670 words

Opened by Nicola Richards Con West Bromwich East

Responding minister: Helen Whately

NHS

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Nicola Richards raised concerns about cancer care in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Nicola Richards expressed concern over projected rising number of cancer cases reaching 506,000 between 2038 and 2040.
  • Richards noted disparities in lung cancer survival rates across regions, with lower survival rates in the west midlands compared to other parts of England.
  • Richards requested the government to fund the NHS long-term workforce plan and incorporate input from Cancer Research UK and other organizations into the major conditions strategy.

Key requests to Government

Richards asked the Government to ensure necessary funding is provided to meet commitments outlined in the NHS long-term workforce plan. She also requested that the major conditions strategy incorporate views from Cancer Research UK and other organisations, laying groundwork for a longer-term cancer strategy addressing inequalities.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Nicola Richards Con West Bromwich East

Nicola Richards expressed concern about the rising number of cancer cases projected to reach 506,000 between 2038 and 2040. She highlighted disparities in cancer survival rates across regions, noting that individuals diagnosed with lung cancer in the west midlands are less likely to survive than those elsewhere in England. Richards also pointed out that only 54.5% of people starting treatment after an urgent referral do so within the 62-day target and approximately 2,100 people wait more than 104 days for their treatment.

Other contributors (6)
  • Debbie Abrahams Lab Oldham East and Saddleworth

    Ms Debbie Abrahams expressed condolences to the hon. Lady for her mother's passing, mentioning a constituent named Jo Taylor who has an advanced breast cancer diagnosis. She advocated for counting secondary breast cancer cases accurately as currently only estimates are available.

  • Feryal Clark Lab Enfield North

    Concerned about the worst recorded level of waiting times for cancer, Ms Clark highlighted a shortage of key equipment and staff vacancies due to austerity measures. She noted that only 79% of people saw a specialist within two weeks after an urgent suspected cancer referral in January 2023, missing the NHS England target of 93%. This represents around 520 additional patients who could have been diagnosed or ruled out on time if the target was met. She also pointed to a lack of workforce plan from the Government and called for transparency in projected staffing numbers.

  • Ian Paisley Jnr DUP North Antrim

    The Chair offered personal condolences and thanked Nicola Richards for touching on the matter, acknowledging the importance of mothers in people's lives.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Mr Jim Shannon commended the hon. Lady for securing this debate and highlighted that four in 10 cancers across the UK are preventable, advocating for a national smoke-free target to stop smoking among young people and encourage research.

  • Peter Dowd Lab Bootle

    Mr Dowd highlighted the crisis in cancer care, citing figures showing that nearly half of all cancer patients missed life-saving treatment targets in January 2023. He also pointed out a shortfall of clinical radiology consultants and oncologists, with demand for services expected to increase significantly by 2035. He mentioned an email received yesterday about a campaign, indicating that over half the heads of radiotherapy departments had warned that radiotherapy was at crisis point. He asked if the Minister would try to chase up their correspondence with the Health Secretary.

  • Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

    Tim Farron highlighted the unacceptable waiting times for cancer treatment in his constituency, with 27% of people not being seen within two months of diagnosis. He pointed out that delays in radiotherapy lead to a 10% reduction in life expectancy every four weeks. Farron stressed the need for increased investment in radiotherapy, noting the UK's lower-than-average rate of patients receiving it compared to other countries. He called on the Government to allocate £1 billion from its unexpected windfall of around £30 billion to improve radiotherapy infrastructure and reduce waiting times. Mr Farron briefly intervened to ask for a chance to speak, but no further content was provided in the transcript.

Government Response

Helen Whately

Acknowledged the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment for cancer. Highlighted NHS efforts to reduce waiting times, increase capacity through community diagnostic centres, and improve patient outcomes with innovative treatments. Mentioned investments in radiotherapy equipment and workforce development. Emphasized the ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages 1 or 2 by 2028. Stressed the importance of research investment, citing £1 billion annual NHS funding for health and care research, including over £99 million spent on cancer research in 2021-22.

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