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 improve the disparities experienced by those from (a) ethnic minorities, (b) deprived backgrounds and (c) geographically remote locations in accessing a timely diagnosis of blood cancer.

Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.

We recognise there are particular challenges for a number of different populations, particularly for people living in the most deprived areas of the country. As part of our wider strategy on early diagnosis, we are directly targeting our activity at areas we know will make a difference.

The NHS’s Help Us, Help You cancer campaigns increase awareness of cancer symptoms, address barriers, and encourage people to get checked. Some campaigns focus on specific symptoms while others focus on fear as a barrier to help-seeking, which is relevant across all cancer types. The key target audience for these campaigns are people aged 50 year old and over living in more disadvantaged areas, as well as groups more likely to experience health inequalities, such as black and South Asian people.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel.