Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing covid-safe spaces for cancer services to ensure cancer diagnostic services are not interrupted during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has been clear from the start of the pandemic that cancer services must continue; cancer treatments and other essential care should only be postponed if a clinician and patient agree it is in the patient’s best interests. As part of the phased response to COVID-19, local healthcare providers and cancer alliances have worked together to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer treatment, including using the additional capacity negotiated within the independent sector.

The newly formed Cancer Recovery Taskforce will oversee the development of the cancer recovery plan and review progress against objectives.