Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Grahame Morris and Matt Hancock

Tuesday 7th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

2. What funding his Department plans to allocate to radiotherapy services in the next five years.

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt Hancock)]

Our radiotherapy modernisation programme has so far delivered 80 upgrades or replacements, with more to come.

[Grahame Morris]

One in four people currently receive radiotherapy—a number that will increase if the Government achieve their early diagnosis targets. Ministers dispute that 20,000 people in England annually miss out on appropriate access to life-saving radiotherapy. What is the Secretary of State’s estimate? Will he commit to meeting representatives of the Radiotherapy4Life campaign to discuss how we can improve radiotherapy provision in England?

[Matt Hancock]

I am absolutely happy to meet the group. According to the latest figures, about four in 10 of all cancer patients are treated with radiotherapy; it is a critical treatment to tackle cancer. As I say, there has been an investment programme to replace and upgrade radiotherapy equipment, with 80 upgrades or replacements over the past three years, but there is clearly more to do to make sure that people with cancer get the best possible treatment.

NHS Long-term Plan

Debate between Grahame Morris and Matt Hancock

Monday 7th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

I want to concentrate on cancer services. I have tried to be very positive and to engage with Ministers through the all-party parliamentary group on cancer, but I must express my disappointment at chapter 3. The Secretary of State referred to paragraph 3.51 on cancer, particularly in relation to some of the new investments. Practicalities and resources must be linked to the ambition to improve outcomes, so we need early diagnosis and cost-effective treatment. For example, this country has the second worst survival rate in Europe for lung cancer; only Bulgaria is any worse. The “Manifesto for Radiography” by professionals, oncologists and so on set out some specific asks, including a one-off investment of £250 million in advanced radiotherapy and an additional £100 million a year to support that investment with trained staff. I am afraid that the Government’s plans set out in the 10-year plan fall far short of that, so I do hope that the Secretary of State will look at that again.

[Matt Hancock]

We very much agree with the thrust and purpose of the hon. Gentleman’s remarks. In fact, paragraph 3.56 sets out how we are learning from what has happened in Liverpool and elsewhere in the country to make sure that we get early diagnosis right because, as he says, early diagnosis is absolutely critical. I will take away his specific points, but the whole thrust of the plan with regards to cancer is about increasing early diagnosis.

Budget Resolutions

Debate between Grahame Morris and Matt Hancock

Tuesday 30th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, I can confirm that. The £20.5 billion real-terms funding for the NHS in the Budget is for the NHS itself and will be channelled through NHS England. Of course there are budgets in the Department that are outside the NHS envelope, and they will be settled in the spending review. This is exactly as has been planned, and it was made clear in June. I can tell the House that the £20.5 billion is both the longest and the largest settlement for any public service in the history of this country.

[Grahame Morris]

We need to be precise and accurate about this, and I have just googled the settlement. In fact, the biggest ever increase in NHS funding happened between 1997 and 2008 when the budget went up from £55 billion to £125.4 billion—

[Matt Hancock]

indicated dissent.

--- Later in debate ---

[Grahame Morris]

Well, I am talking about being factually correct. The biggest ever funding increase came under a Labour Government. Let us be honest about this.

[Matt Hancock]

This is a single settlement for a five-year period so that the NHS can plan again.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Grahame Morris and Matt Hancock

Tuesday 23rd October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

I am glad that, like me, the hon. Lady cares so much about getting this right. The long-term plan, which we are writing with the NHS, for how we will spend the £20 billion funding increase is where we can get these details right. Access to mental health services was not even measured before. The first step was to put the measurement in place, and now we can act on that measurement with the huge increase in funding coming to the NHS.

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

5. If he will ensure that NHS England enables NHS trusts to provide advanced radiotherapy treatment.