Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the recommendations set out in the NHS England report Achieving world-class cancer outcomes: a strategy for England 2015-2020 are implemented without delay.

NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations to improve cancer outcomes set out in the new five-year strategy of the Independent Cancer Taskforce.

As part of putting in place a governance structure for delivery of the strategy, NHS England has appointed Cally Palmer as NHS National Cancer Director. She will lead the implementation of the strategy, as well as new cancer vanguards using outcomes-based commissioning to redesign care and patient experience. Ms Palmer is Chief Executive of the Royal Marsden Hospital.

The Independent Cancer Taskforce’s report outlines that earlier diagnosis could contribute to saving a further 11,000 lives per year.

Our announcement of a commitment that by 2020, National Health Service patients will be given a definitive cancer diagnosis or the all clear within 28 days of being referred by a general practitioner, means that patients, particularly those with harder to diagnose cancers, will be diagnosed faster and the period of anxiety while waiting will be reduced.