Oral Answers to Questions

Felicity Buchan Excerpts

Tuesday 6th October 2020 Commons Chamber

[James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to improve cancer outcomes.

[Felicity Buchan (Kensington) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to improve cancer outcomes.

[Jo Gideon (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to improve cancer outcomes.

--- Later in debate ---

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, I do. I share my hon. Friend and neighbour’s enthusiasm for the rebuild of the West Suffolk Hospital. For treating both patients with cancer and patients with all other conditions, the West Suffolk is a brilliant local hospital that is much loved in the community; however, its infrastructure is getting very old and it needs to be replaced. I am delighted, along with the Minister for primary care, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds (Jo Churchill), in whose constituency the hospital is and will be rebuilt, that we are able to make the funding commitment and get this project going.

[Felicity Buchan]

I understand that we continue to requisition private hospitals. Given that there are patients who are nervous about attending hospitals, could those be used as covid-secure environments for cancer analysis and treatment?

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, absolutely. The private hospitals of this country have played a very important role in responding to covid, and we have a contract with them to be able to continue to deliver much needed services, including cancer services. Because by their nature they rarely have the pressures of emergency attendance, we can ensure that they are part of the green part of the health service—that they are as free as is feasibly possible from coronavirus—and therefore safe to carry out all sorts of cancer treatments. They are an important part of the recovery plan.