Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there are sufficient breast cancer clinical nurse specialists.

We are committed to training the staff we need, including clinical nurse specialists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places, including those involved in diagnosing and treating cancer, meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

The Government has set out plans to publish a ten-year plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will be informed by Lord Darzi’s report and will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, including for breast cancer.