Oral Answers to Questions

James Gray Excerpts

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[Anna Soubry]

What I do know, having had a long meeting with my officials only this morning, is that the evidence, as they have explained it to me, is clear: SABR is effective only in a small number of people who have, unfortunately, a certain small tumour in their lungs, and it is not suitable for other treatments of cancers. However, if the hon. Gentleman wants to discuss the matter further, my door is always open.

[Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con)]

The trouble with all these things is that medical science moves faster than the targets set by the Government. Does the Minister agree with me that proton beam therapy is now almost as important as radiotherapy? How much have the Government spent on this therapy, and how many patients have been helped by it?

[Anna Soubry]

We are building two new machines specifically to deliver that treatment. I accept that these things often take a long time, but those machines are planned. In the meantime, NHS England has made it clear that people who need this specific type of treatment can receive it overseas and it will be funded accordingly.