Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve public awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms, (b) increase early diagnosis rates and (c) increase access to treatment in specialist centres in (i) the London Borough of Lewisham, (ii) London and (iii) England.

Public Health England (PHE) has run a number of ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaigns to help improve early detection of cancer including ovarian cancer. In 2014 PHE ran a pilot regional ovarian cancer campaign in the North West of England. In 2017, PHE ran a pilot campaign in the East and West Midlands which focussed on a range of abdominal symptoms, such as diarrhoea, bloating and discomfort that can be indicative of a number of cancers, including ovarian cancer.

NHS England has invested over £200 million between 2017 and 2019, supporting Cancer Alliances to accelerate diagnosis and enhance quality of life.

Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group is engaged in work to improve early diagnosis and access to specialist centres for ovarian cancer.