Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to make an assessment of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the early diagnosis of leukaemia and the outcomes for people treated for leukaemia since March 2020.

No assessment has been made. The full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on early diagnosis rates or outcomes will not be known until the pandemic is over, and until the data is fully available.

NHS England and NHS Improvement is continuing the roll-out Rapid Diagnostic Centres (RDCs) across the country to bring together diagnostic equipment and expertise. RDCs will initially focus on diagnosing cancers where patients often present with non-specific symptoms, such as blood cancer, and may go to their general practitioner many times before being sent for appropriate tests. RDC compliant pathways should be in place for all patients, including children, by 2023/24.