Hospitals: Patient Safety

Baroness Fall Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bethell]

I am afraid that at the moment, I cannot give a precise and thorough answer to the perceptive and very detailed question asked by the noble Baroness, but I will be glad to.

[Baroness Fall (Con)]

We pay tribute to all those doing so much to help Covid-19 sufferers. However, we must not lose sight of others, such as cancer sufferers, who are being adversely affected by being afraid to go for diagnostics, having surgery and treatment cancelled, low supplies of key drugs such as painkillers, and research budgets being hit. Can the Minister reassure the public about this and tell us what he is doing to address these problems?

[Lord Bethell]

The situation of cancer patients is of grave concern. We have restored all the treatments, surgery and other systems necessary for treating cancer, and we have put in place testing facilities so that those with suppressed immunity can be tested and therefore enter treatment centres with confidence. It is a situation that we maintain under review, and we are working hard to ensure that drugs and painkillers are in ready supply.