National Cancer Plan

Lord Kakkar Excerpts

Monday 10th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kakkar (CB)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for bringing this Statement to the House today. I remind noble Lords of my interests as chairman of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research and King’s Health Partners.

The Minister will recognise well that one of the most important determinants of achieving improved outcomes for cancer patients is access to innovative therapies. It has recently been suggested by the major pharma industry that there are fiscal and regulatory matters that impede the adoption of such innovative therapies across the NHS in England. Can the Minister confirm that, when His Majesty’s Government start to develop the cancer plan, they will look at matters of regulation and fiscal intervention to ensure not only the opportunity for broader support for clinical research but that a continued enthusiasm will be provided for those who have developed innovations to bring them to the UK and make them available to our fellow citizens?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes an important point about what I would call unnecessary obstacles to innovation and technology—something which the noble Lord, Lord Kamall, also raised. I assure the noble Lord, Lord Kakkar, that engagement with industry is extensive. We seek to identify blocks to improving healthcare provision in this country so that we can take the necessary steps. I agree that there are obstacles. We will continue to identify them—working with industry, which is crucial—and to seek to fix them.