Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the number of pancreatic cancer diagnoses; and what steps he plans to take to help support research into less treatable cancers.

The National Health Service’s latest available data shows that the number of pancreatic cancer cases diagnosed in 2021 was 9,728, compared to 9,263 in 2019, showing a gradual increase. Delivering more research is key to understanding and assessing the challenges around cancers with lower survival rates. The Department invests £1.3 billion per year into health research, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including all cancers. As with other Government funding of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas, including less survivable cancers. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications.

The NHS Cancer Programme has commissioned 10 clinical cancer audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. This includes an audit on pancreatic cancer. NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has appointed a team of 5 specialist clinicians to lead a national review into services for pancreatic cancer patients in England. As part of their review, the GIRFT clinicians are visiting 23 networks. Early evidence shows that tracking patients throughout their pathway, both geographically and chronologically, supports an optimal service, making good use of Clinical Nurse Specialists. The final report will be completed in 2024/25.