Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England plans to publish its service specification on ovarian cancer.
Answered by David Mowat
In order for NHS England to formally consider a new or revised service specification, a number of associated reports and processes need to be completed. The Complex Gynaecological Services Clinical Reference Group (CRG) did start the process of developing a new service specification for ovarian cancer, however, this did not progress through the process. This was due to technical difficulties encountered during the Impact Assessment stage and included issues in identifying activity and the associated financial impact.
In the subsequent period, CRGs have been restructured and the responsibility for this clinical area now resides with the Specialised Cancer Surgery CRG, within the National Cancer Programme of Care. In addition, NHS England has also published a revised process for service specification development (titled: ‘Methods’), which can be found at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/key-docs/
The Methods sets out the process for completing service specification work and, in accordance with this process, the Specialised Cancer Surgery CRG has been asked to consider progressing this work. The CRG Chair is due to discuss the matter with a representative of the Gynaecology CRG later this week and, following this, it is expected that the first step of the process will be completed by the middle of March 2017.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has conducted research on the potential effect of including a reference to ovarian cancer on cervical cancer screening materials.
Answered by David Mowat
The Department and Public Health England are aware that there is research in this area to consider and are keeping abreast with developments.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether genetic centres are recording disease-specific data to ascertain whether a BRCA test has been referred from an ovarian or breast cancer diagnosis.
Answered by David Mowat
In July 2015, NHS England published a clinical commissioning policy to guide and expand access to BRCA testing based on updated guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Clinical Commissioning Policy: Genetic Testing for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation, offers genetic testing to people with a 10% risk of carrying a BRCA mutation compared to the previously published 20% risk of carrying.
The recording of disease specific information is usually recorded in the patient notes and on the test request form, rather than in genetic centres, and in some cases may be recorded on the patient management database at an individual testing centre but is not aggregated up into disease specific data sets.
Data collection for BRCA 1 and 2 stopped in 2013 with the introduction of the Social Care Act and the restrictions on the collection and processing of personable identifiable data, however, NHS Digital (previously the Health and Social Care Information Centre) is now authorised to resume data collection on behalf of the UK Genetic Testing Network (UKGTN) for England. Data collection took place between June and July 2016 respectively for 2014/15 and 2015/16. The report is due to be available to UKGTN at the end of March 2017.
However, NHS England will explore data collection on testing for lynch syndrome with UKGTN as part of their work to look at options for implementation of Recommendation 36 of the independent Cancer Taskforce report.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which body is responsible for collecting data to ensure that recommendation 36 of the Government's Cancer Strategy for England is being effectively implemented.
Answered by David Mowat
In July 2015, NHS England published a clinical commissioning policy to guide and expand access to BRCA testing based on updated guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Clinical Commissioning Policy: Genetic Testing for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation, offers genetic testing to people with a 10% risk of carrying a BRCA mutation compared to the previously published 20% risk of carrying.
The recording of disease specific information is usually recorded in the patient notes and on the test request form, rather than in genetic centres, and in some cases may be recorded on the patient management database at an individual testing centre but is not aggregated up into disease specific data sets.
Data collection for BRCA 1 and 2 stopped in 2013 with the introduction of the Social Care Act and the restrictions on the collection and processing of personable identifiable data, however, NHS Digital (previously the Health and Social Care Information Centre) is now authorised to resume data collection on behalf of the UK Genetic Testing Network (UKGTN) for England. Data collection took place between June and July 2016 respectively for 2014/15 and 2015/16. The report is due to be available to UKGTN at the end of March 2017.
However, NHS England will explore data collection on testing for lynch syndrome with UKGTN as part of their work to look at options for implementation of Recommendation 36 of the independent Cancer Taskforce report.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to issue clinical commissioning guidelines to include a timeframe for BRCA genetic testing for ovarian cancer.
Answered by David Mowat
In July 2015, NHS England published a clinical commissioning policy to guide and expand access to BRCA testing based on updated guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Clinical Commissioning Policy: Genetic Testing for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation, offers genetic testing to people with a 10% risk of carrying a BRCA mutation compared to the previously published 20% risk of carrying.
The recording of disease specific information is usually recorded in the patient notes and on the test request form, rather than in genetic centres, and in some cases may be recorded on the patient management database at an individual testing centre but is not aggregated up into disease specific data sets.
Data collection for BRCA 1 and 2 stopped in 2013 with the introduction of the Social Care Act and the restrictions on the collection and processing of personable identifiable data, however, NHS Digital (previously the Health and Social Care Information Centre) is now authorised to resume data collection on behalf of the UK Genetic Testing Network (UKGTN) for England. Data collection took place between June and July 2016 respectively for 2014/15 and 2015/16. The report is due to be available to UKGTN at the end of March 2017.
However, NHS England will explore data collection on testing for lynch syndrome with UKGTN as part of their work to look at options for implementation of Recommendation 36 of the independent Cancer Taskforce report.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of progress in the implementation of clinical commissioning guidelines on genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Answered by David Mowat
In July 2015, NHS England published a clinical commissioning policy to guide and expand access to BRCA testing based on updated guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Clinical Commissioning Policy: Genetic Testing for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation, offers genetic testing to people with a 10% risk of carrying a BRCA mutation compared to the previously published 20% risk of carrying.
The recording of disease specific information is usually recorded in the patient notes and on the test request form, rather than in genetic centres, and in some cases may be recorded on the patient management database at an individual testing centre but is not aggregated up into disease specific data sets.
Data collection for BRCA 1 and 2 stopped in 2013 with the introduction of the Social Care Act and the restrictions on the collection and processing of personable identifiable data, however, NHS Digital (previously the Health and Social Care Information Centre) is now authorised to resume data collection on behalf of the UK Genetic Testing Network (UKGTN) for England. Data collection took place between June and July 2016 respectively for 2014/15 and 2015/16. The report is due to be available to UKGTN at the end of March 2017.
However, NHS England will explore data collection on testing for lynch syndrome with UKGTN as part of their work to look at options for implementation of Recommendation 36 of the independent Cancer Taskforce report.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the availability of drugs not yet approved by NICE.
Answered by George Freeman
Where a drug or treatment has not been appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, funding decisions should be made by the relevant commissioner, based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Public Health England’s (PHE) Be Clear on Cancer (BCOC) campaigns aim to raise awareness of the symptoms of cancer and encourage symptomatic patients to present earlier. BCOC campaigns are tested at a local and regional level and are subject to a comprehensive evaluation process, the results of which are assessed thoroughly before a decision is taken on whether to run campaigns nationally throughout England.
PHE ran a regional BCOC ovarian pilot campaign from 10 February to 16 March 2014 in the North West of England Television region. The campaign was aimed at women over 50, the age group most at risk of developing ovarian cancer, and their friends and family to raise awareness of bloating as a symptom of ovarian cancer and to encourage women with this symptom to visit their general practitioner.
The Department, PHE and NHS England met with the ovarian cancer charities on 16 June and it was agreed that they would continue to work with the ovarian charities to keep the ovarian regional campaign under review and to explore how we can increase public awareness of ovarian cancer.
On 23 June I spoke at the Target Ovarian Cancer event in Parliament in order to help raise awareness of this cancer and its symptoms.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve A&E provision in North Northamptonshire.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The provision of accident & emergency (A&E) services is a matter for the local National Health Service. We are aware of the proposals being developed locally for an Urgent Care Hub at Kettering General Hospital to address pressures faced by the Trust’s A&E service and are encouraged by the innovative thinking of the local commissioners and close working with local people and their representatives.