Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking beyond the end of the current Cancer Services Recovery Plan in March 2021 to ensure that people with cancer can access high-quality cancer care.
From March, local systems will be expected to carry out local plans formed as part of the Cancer Services Recovery Plan and carry on with the progress that has already been made.
We have more than doubled the number of Rapid Diagnostic Centres (RDCs) from 20 in March 2020 to 53 at the end of 2020. There are a further 63 RDCs in development. We have established COVID-19 protected surgical hubs for cancer surgery to keep often vulnerable cancer patients safe. All 21 Cancer Alliances across England have arrangements in place for surgical cancer hubs.