Health: Breast Cancer

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Excerpts

Monday 3rd October 2011 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, issued by the Department of Health, has had on women with breast cancer.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe)]

My Lords, our cancer outcome strategy sets out our ambition to improve outcomes for all cancer patients and save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15. Specifically on breast cancer, the strategy outlined commitments on local awareness campaigns, expanding breast cancer screening, measuring the prevalence of metastatic breast cancer, and one-day stays for breast surgery. Good progress is being made in all these areas and the strategy’s first annual report will be published in the winter.

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin]

My Lords, may I remind the House of my interest as chief executive of the research charity Breast Cancer Campaign? I thank the Minister for his response. I have two brief questions. We know that radiotherapy is a very cost-effective treatment, improving outcomes for people with cancer at 5 per cent of the NHS cancer spend. Can the Minister explain to the House what progress is being made to ensure that the additional investment set out in the outcomes strategy is actually being converted into improved outcomes rather than lost in the bottom line? Can the Minister say what steps are being taken to improve access for women to IMRT radiotherapy, which is, of course, the modern version of this treatment and which can be so beneficial for appropriate referrals?