Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the NHS about updating the National Tariff Payment for dialysis to encourage greater uptake of home haemodialysis therapies.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement are undertaking a national Renal Transformation Programme starting later in 2021. As part of this, ways to incentivise home dialysis will be considered, which may include use of tariffs or other commissioning levers.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will undertake a review to assess the benefits of home haemodialysis compared to in-centre dialysis for supporting dialysis patients safely to shield from COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that there are currently no plans to undertake such a review. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence COVID-19 rapid guideline: dialysis service delivery, sets out guidance for clinicians to maximise the safety of patients on dialysis during the pandemic, both at home and in dialysis units. It contains recommendations for providers to continue and maintain current home dialysis provision where possible and to consider the possibility of increasing provision for new incident patients. A copy of the guideline is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how England compares with other European countries in (1) one, (2) five, and (3) 10-year survival rates for patients diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
No formal assessment has been made.
Although cancer survival rates are at a record high and continue to improve, we know that we have to strive to be better. The independent Cancer Taskforce report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July last year, recommends improvements across the cancer patient pathway. A copy of the report is attached.
NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to deliver the Cancer Taskforce’s recommendations. An implementation plan, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the strategy forward, was published on 12 May 2016 and we hope to see great progress as it is delivered. A copy of the implementation plan is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether cancer treatments submitted to, but not assessed by, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) before 1 April will be approved under the new NICE framework for cancer treatments.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has confirmed that appraisals of cancer technologies started prior to 1 April 2016 will be considered using the updated NICE methods and processes which came into effect on 1 April 2016. Companies whose technologies fall under this scenario have been offered the opportunity to make a case for consideration within the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the average time from diagnosis to treatment for patients with metastatic kidney cancer in England.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
No assessment has been made. NHS England collects data on cancer waiting times and these data are published on their website. The data comprises of organisational performance against operational standards that support waiting time commitments laid out in the NHS Constitution. These include the standard that 96% of patients should begin first definitive treatment for all cancers within a maximum of 31 days from diagnosis.
In April 2016 97.4% of patients waited 31 days from diagnosis to first definitive treatment for all cancers and 94.9% for urological cancers.
The data is collected at tumour group level and it is not possible to identify metastatic kidney cancer.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the NHS Five Year Forward View taskforce on cancer services will report back on their initial assessment of opportunities to improve cancer care before March 2015; and when in 2015 they will present the new five year strategy.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The independent Cancer Taskforce has been set up to produce a new cross-system national cancer strategy to take us through the next five years to 2020, building on NHS England’s vision for improving cancer outcomes set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View. It has been set up in partnership with the cancer community and other health system leaders, and is chaired by the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK.
The new strategy will set a clear direction covering the whole cancer pathway from prevention to end of life care, including molecular diagnostics. The Taskforce will produce a statement of intent this month, and the new strategy will be published in summer 2015.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what focus the NHS Five Year Forward View taskforce on cancer services, chaired by Cancer Research UK, will give to molecular diagnostics.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The independent Cancer Taskforce has been set up to produce a new cross-system national cancer strategy to take us through the next five years to 2020, building on NHS England’s vision for improving cancer outcomes set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View. It has been set up in partnership with the cancer community and other health system leaders, and is chaired by the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK.
The new strategy will set a clear direction covering the whole cancer pathway from prevention to end of life care, including molecular diagnostics. The Taskforce will produce a statement of intent this month, and the new strategy will be published in summer 2015.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which pharmaceutical companies have informed NHS England about the withdrawal of their funding for molecular testing; and what plans NHS England has in place to ensure continuity of funding and access for affected patients.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
NHS England is leading a range of activities relating to the future of molecular diagnostics which over time will begin to inform new approaches to the prediction and prevention of disease as well as the application of new targeted therapies, in support of delivering the ambitions set out in the 5 Year Forward View. These include: the re-procurement of Genomics Local Laboratory Hubs; the establishment of a Task Force to oversee development of a new national strategy for cancer; and the coordination of the NHS contribution to the 100,000 Genomes Project which includes the building of a new molecular pathology network. In addition to this, NHS England is conducting analysis to clarify legacy arrangements for commissioning molecular diagnostics and identify future commissioning mechanisms.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what commissioning policies and interventions are in place to ensure uninterrupted access to molecular diagnostics from 1 April 2015 whilst a more robust system is being developed.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
NHS England is leading a range of activities relating to the future of molecular diagnostics which over time will begin to inform new approaches to the prediction and prevention of disease as well as the application of new targeted therapies, in support of delivering the ambitions set out in the 5 Year Forward View. These include: the re-procurement of Genomics Local Laboratory Hubs; the establishment of a Task Force to oversee development of a new national strategy for cancer; and the coordination of the NHS contribution to the 100,000 Genomes Project which includes the building of a new molecular pathology network. In addition to this, NHS England is conducting analysis to clarify legacy arrangements for commissioning molecular diagnostics and identify future commissioning mechanisms.
Asked by: Baroness Cumberlege (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures NHS England is putting in place to ensure the development of a national policy for molecular diagnostic testing before existing legacy arrangements expire in 2016; who will lead those plans; when they will begin; and when progress will be reported.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
NHS England is leading a range of activities relating to the future of molecular diagnostics which over time will begin to inform new approaches to the prediction and prevention of disease as well as the application of new targeted therapies, in support of delivering the ambitions set out in the 5 Year Forward View. These include: the re-procurement of Genomics Local Laboratory Hubs; the establishment of a Task Force to oversee development of a new national strategy for cancer; and the coordination of the NHS contribution to the 100,000 Genomes Project which includes the building of a new molecular pathology network. In addition to this, NHS England is conducting analysis to clarify legacy arrangements for commissioning molecular diagnostics and identify future commissioning mechanisms.