Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the capacity of hospitals to test everyone with bowel cancer for Lynch syndrome in accordance with NICE guidelines; and if he will make a statement.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published diagnostics guidance in February 2017 recommending that everyone who is diagnosed with colorectal cancer should be tested for Lynch syndrome.

In current NHS England commissioning practice, testing for Lynch syndrome in people with colorectal cancer is targeted using criteria based on family history and age of cancer onset to determine people at high risk. NHS England will be considering this proposed change to eligibility in practice as part of its clinical development process. NICE has also published a support tool alongside its guidance that provides practical information and advice to help National Health Service organisations to implement its recommendations.