Cancer: Health Services

(asked on 11th December 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the NHS England document, Next Steps on the Five Year Forward View published in March 2017, what recent progress the NHS has made on meeting the objective for an extra 5,000 people to survive cancer over the next two years.


Answered by
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine
This question was answered on 19th December 2017

Earlier and faster diagnosis is key to improving survival rates and NHS England is investing over £200 million over the next two years in cancer services to encourage local areas to find new and innovative ways to diagnose cancer earlier, improve the care for those living with cancer and ensure each cancer patient gets the right care for them. The Government has also committed £130 million for new technology and equipment to ensure patients have access to the best and latest radiotherapy treatment.

Survival rates from cancer in England are at a record high, and since 2010 rates of survival from cancer have increased year-on-year. The decrease in cancer deaths means that around 7,000 people are alive today who would not have been had things stayed the same. One year survival rates for the period 2017-19 will be available in 2021.

Reticulating Splines