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Cancer Care: Young Adults — [Ian Paisley in the Chair]

08 June 2022

Lead MP

Julie Marson

Responding Minister

Maria Caulfield

Tags

NHS
Word Count: 3963
Other Contributors: 5

At a Glance

Julie Marson raised concerns about cancer care: young adults — [ian paisley in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

Marson is advocating for Jess's law, which would require a case to be elevated after the third contact with a GP surgery and red-flagged after five contacts, leading to thorough investigations and specialist referrals. She also emphasized the need for better training of GPs in recognizing early cancer symptoms in young adults.

How the Debate Unfolded

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

Lead Contributor

Opened the debate
Julie Marson highlighted the tragic case of Jessica Brady, a young adult diagnosed with cancer after numerous GP visits and misdiagnoses. She cited CLIC Sargent's findings that half of young people visited their GPs at least three times before being diagnosed with cancer. The charity also noted that nearly 10% of all new cancers are diagnosed in people aged between 25 and 49, twice as many females than males in this age group.

Government Response

Maria Caulfield
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Mr Paisley. The Minister thanked Julie Marson for securing the debate and expressed condolences to Simon and Andrea, who were present. She acknowledged that cancer diagnosis in young adults can be challenging due to its rarity, with just under 4,000 cases diagnosed annually in England. GPs often lack experience dealing with non-specific symptoms. However, there are numerous opportunities where further investigation could reveal the problem, but Jess's case highlights issues with delayed diagnoses despite multiple visits and symptoms. The Government has allocated £2.3 billion to roll out community diagnostic centres enabling direct referrals for patients with non-specific symptoms without hospital referrals needed initially. Additionally, non-specific symptoms pathways are being introduced to facilitate early diagnosis through discussions involving diagnostic equipment and expertise. A target of 75% of cancers diagnosed at stages 1 or 2 by 2028 is set, aiming to address all cancer types including rarer ones with no known origins. The Minister also mentioned piloting a nurse specialist route for patients needing further support or diagnosis. She discussed the possibility of implementing a flag system in GP practices based on frequency and persistence of symptoms but noted technical challenges with independent IT systems among GPs. Training programmes are being rolled out by Macmillan Cancer Support, CLIC Sargent, and Cancer Research UK to educate primary care teams about cancer diagnoses in young people.
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy

About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.