Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 13 February (HL4626), which patient organisations were consulted in October 2014 on proposed changes to the Cancer Drugs fund re-evaluation process.

NHS England has advised that its proposals for changes to the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2014-15 and 2015-16 went out to public consultation for a four week period from 3 October 2014.

A direct mail regarding the consultation was sent for onward cascading to the following charities and patient organisations:

Healthwatch England

National Voices

Help and Care

National Association for Patient Participation

National Association for Voluntary & Community Action

National Care Forum

Patient Concern

Patients Association

Patient Opinion

Patient Information Forum

Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations

Action on Smoking & Health

Age UK

Alzheimer’s Society

Anthony Nolan Trust

Association of Medical Research Charities

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

British Heart Foundation

British Kidney Patient Association

British Red Cross

Cancer Research UK

Carers Trust

Carers UK

Citizens Advice Bureau

Kidney Cancer Support Network

Kidney Research UK

Macmillan Cancer Support

Marie Curie Cancer Care

Men's Health Forum

National Council for Palliative Care

National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Cancer 52

Prostate Cancer UK

Myeloma UK

Rarer Cancers Foundation

Roy Castle Lung Foundation

Beating Bowel Cancer

Clicsargent

UK Health Forum

Leukaemia Care

Brain Tumour UK

Breast Cancer Care

Children with Cancer UK

Bowel Cancer UK

The information was also sent directly to over 300 registered stakeholders of the NHS England Chemotherapy Clinical Reference Group (CRG) which includes many patient organisations.

In addition, the following organisations attended a patient organisations and charities consultation event:

Beating Bowel Cancer

Breast Cancer Campaign

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

GIST Support UK

Transforming Cancer Services for London Team

MHP Health

Target Ovarian Cancer

Cancer 52

Pancreatic Cancer UK

James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer

Cancer Research UK

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust

Lymphoma Association

Macmillan Cancer Support

The Brain Tumour Charity

Prostate Cancer UK

Rarer Cancers Foundation

MDS UK Patient Support Group