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 mental health effect on patients of delayed cancer treatment due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Personalised care interventions, including holistic needs assessment, health and wellbeing information and support, and end of treatment summaries, will help to identify and address more psychological and emotional needs from diagnosis onwards, while ensuring that general practitioners are informed of patients’ ongoing needs. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, these interventions will be implemented where appropriate for every person diagnosed with cancer by 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all personalised care and support has continued by telephone, video, online or by post if face-to-face appointments and group sessions have not been possible.