National Cancer Plan

Lewis Atkinson Excerpts

Thursday 5th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ashley Dalton]

As I have set out, we have already invested £70 million in the new LINAC machines, and we are using AI to support oncologists to use those machines more effectively. Through the spending review, we are providing £15 billion in operational capital for local priorities. It is down to local ICBs and local trusts to identify what they need and what they want to purchase in their areas, but we are providing the support and guidance to help them do that.

[Lewis Atkinson (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

I wish to thank NHS cancer teams in Sunderland for doing such incredible work in my constituency. Other Members have mentioned the unacceptable variation in NHS performance against waiting times, and I commend the Minister’s focus on that. Can she say a little about the variation in waiting times by tumour site? In November last year, 82% of skin cancers were tret within 62 days, but for gynaecological cancers, the figure was only 58%.

[Ashley Dalton]

This is a key issue. Some cancers are an awful lot easier to get at, and so they are a lot easier to diagnose sooner. We are looking at how we can roll out screening wherever appropriate and increase access to tests such as liquid biopsies, which I talked about in the statement, so that people can get their diagnoses sooner.