Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jo Churchill and Abena Oppong-Asare

Tuesday 10th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab)]

13. What steps he is taking to improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Jo Churchill)]

Last year, 1.5 million more people with suspected cancer were seen by a specialist compared with the numbers in 2010, thanks to our dedicated workforce. We want to go further and diagnose three quarters of all cancers early—more if possible. I am grateful to those charities, particularly ovarian cancer charities, that are raising awareness this particular month. For cancers like ovarian, where symptoms are vague and can be harder to detect, it is more difficult. To achieve the ambition, we are radically overhauling screening to improve access to uptake and investing £200 million in diagnostic equipment.

[Abena Oppong-Asare]

What is the Minister doing to ensure that all women who are referred on this are diagnosed for ovarian cancer or ruled out within 28 days, in line with the faster diagnosis standard?

[Jo Churchill]

Under the long-term plan, we are rolling out the rapid diagnostic centres, giving GPs another important route to patients. With the Mike Richards screening review, we are making sure that we get patients to the clinicians—where they need to go—so they can access treatment faster. It is more important than anything else that we get the cancer early, so we can treat it well and give people a real chance of a long life.