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 increase cancer survivability rates in Devon.

Early cancer diagnosis is a key priority for the Government, as the chances of survival are higher if cancer is diagnosed at an early stage.

The Department recognises that cancer patients, including those with in Devon, are often waiting too long for referral and treatment. As the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, NHS England has delivered an extra 100,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week since the start of this administration. This is supported by an increase in capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new MRI and CT scanners. The government is investing an extra £26 billion in the NHS and opening up community diagnostic centres (CDCs) at evening and weekends, including three CDCs located within NHS Devon Integrated Care Board, to help diagnose cancer earlier.

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan for England. The plan will include further details on how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including brain cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.