Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures are in place to support an (a) ageing and (b) isolated population in (i) remote and (ii) rural areas to attend hospital appointments for cancer (A) diagnosis and (B) treatment.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include considering adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas, and for those in the community who have needs linked to ageing and isolation.

There are two National Health Service schemes in England which provide assistance for travel to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, as set out below.

The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment independently.