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 extent to which there are regional variations in access to mental health support for patients with cancer.

The NHS Long Term Plan states that, by 2021, where appropriate every person diagnosed with cancer should receive a Personalised Care and Support Plan based on holistic needs assessment, end of treatment summaries and health and wellbeing information and support, including for mental health needs. All patients will have access to the right expertise and support.

Adults experiencing cancer can also access Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) mental health services, which provide evidence based psychological therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression, implementing the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. The implementation of IAPT long term condition pathways has been identified as a priority to support integration of mental health and physical health services for people with co-morbid long term conditions, such as cancer. No assessment has been made of regional variations in access to mental health support for patients with cancer. However, the extent and nature of IAPT outreach work will be determined at a local level.