Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the length of time it will take to clear the cancer treatment backlog.

Local systems, drawing on advice and analysis from their Cancer Alliance, will ensure that there is sufficient diagnostic and treatment capacity in place to meet the needs of cancer to return the number of people waiting for longer than 62 days to the level of February 2020, or to the national average in February 2020 where this is lower, and meet the increased level of referrals and treatment required to address the shortfall in number of first treatments by March 2022.

No assessment has yet been made of the effect of COVID-19 on cancer survival rates because data to assess the full extent of its impact on patient outcomes is not yet available. The NHS Cancer Programme is currently establishing a task and finish group to review alterations and/or disruptions to care pathways. Once this group has been established a timeline will be agreed and they will consider the most appropriate data sources with which to make this assessment.