Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Health Minister on the importance of early detection of breast cancer in young people.

Policy for cancer care is a devolved matter in Scotland, and is therefore the responsibility of the Scottish administration.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier in England so that more patients survive, including young people. To achieve this, the NHS in England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

To support timely and effective referrals, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has set out detailed guidance for general practitioners in England on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people aged zero to 24 years old, which recommends referral within 48 hours for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms. Since its relaunch on 4 February 2025, the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce for England has worked to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people aged zero to 24 years old with cancer in England. The taskforce is exploring opportunities for improvement across genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, patient experience, and early detection and diagnosis. Although the taskforce is England-only, and no formal discussions have taken place with Scotland or other countries, once the taskforce finalises its work, any recommendations for cross-border collaboration will be considered where appropriate.

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients, including young people with cancer, and will highlight how the Department will support the NHS to improve diagnosis rates for people in all parts of England.