Found: service’, to provide coo rdinated cancer screening prevention and screening awareness engagement

Found: Tickets were being sold on the 18 March 2024 for the The Who's Teenage Cancer Trust concert online

Found: The Teenage Cancer Trust and two of its supporters, the rock stars RogerDaltrey and Paul Weller, condemned

Found: facilities Cirque du Soleil Emails / RAH Newsletter Remembrance concert Christmas concerts Teenage Cancer

Found: identifies some high-profile shows such as the Eric Clapton series of concerts, the annual Teenage Cancer

Found: Minister for State for Health and Secondary Care, relating to women with very high risk of breast cancer

Found: College for its graduation ceremonies, the Royal Navy for the Mountbatten Festival of Music and Teenage Cancer

Found: services in the future through complementary therapies in terms of wellbeing, mental health and cancer

Found: The Cancer of Corruption infects the United Nations The undue influence was fully exposed during Michelle

Found: Critiquing a recent study which claimed that UPF consumption causes cancer and heart disease, Visioli

Found: Obesity increases risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Found: Is it going to be a successful way to identify people and get them on a cancer pathway sooner, or

Found: have a cancer-specific strategy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of using breast density assessment software at women's first breast cancer screening appointments; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of that technology on women's awareness of their personal risk of developing breast cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Breast Screening Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density trial is looking into the use of supplementary imaging techniques for women, within the standard breast screening programme, who are found to have radiographically dense breast tissue. The UK National Screening Committee, which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries in the United Kingdom, will review this evidence when it becomes available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the reasons the (a) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has been unable and (b) Scottish Medicines Consortium has been able to recommend Enhertu for use on the NHS.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. Decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland are a matter for the devolved administration.

The NICE published guidance in 2021 and 2023 recommending Enhertu, also known as trastuzumab deruxtecan, for the treatment of NHS patients with HER2-positive breast cancer through the Cancer Drugs Fund, and it is now available to eligible NHS patients in England in line with the NICE’s recommendations.

The NICE is currently evaluating Enhertu for the treatment of metastatic HER2-low breast cancer, and has not yet published final guidance. Stakeholders have had an opportunity to appeal against the NICE’s draft recommendations, and the NICE will consider any appeals through the established process and publish final guidance in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NICE is taking steps to make Enhertu available to the National Health Service to treat incurable HER2-low secondary breast cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance for the National Health Service on whether Enhertu can be recommended for routine NHS funding, based on an assessment of the costs and benefits. The NICE was unfortunately unable to recommend Enhertu as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources in its final draft guidance published on 5 March 2024. Stakeholders have had an opportunity to appeal against the NICE’s draft recommendations, and the NICE will consider any appeals through the established process, and will publish final guidance in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the timeline for meeting cancer screening uptake targets for (a) breast, (b) cervical, (c) bowel and (d) prostate cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving uptake in all screening programmes, including for breast, bowel, and cervical screening. There is no national screening programme for prostate cancer. The improvement in cancer screening programmes is not predicated on a specific timeline, but is focusing on targeting specific groups where uptake is low.

NHS England has developed a national improvement plan in collaboration with key stakeholders to improve uptake within the breast screening programme. This plan will encompass a series of evaluative projects, which are expected to report in April 2024

A range of improvements and innovations have been brought in to help improve uptake in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. For example, appointments are being made available during evenings and weekends, and in some areas cervical screening appointments can be made in any primary care setting, rather than just at one’s own general practice.

In addition, we are also working to test the effectiveness of human papillomavirus infection self-sampling as a primary cervical screening option, with individuals taking their own cervical screening sample. The findings from this evaluation will be used to inform a UK National Screening Committee recommendation, and it is expected that self-sampling could lead to an increase in uptake as it will reduce some of the barriers that prevent people from attending a screening.

Uptake in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is currently above the achievable threshold of 60%, between 1 July and 30 September 2023 it was 67.4%, and therefore the focus for this screening programme is on gradually reducing the age of the eligible cohort from 60 years old down to 50 years old, to increase to numbers eligible for this programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase the uptake of screening for (a) breast, (b) cervical, (c) bowel and (d) prostate cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving uptake in all screening programmes, including for breast, bowel, and cervical screening. There is no national screening programme for prostate cancer. The improvement in cancer screening programmes is not predicated on a specific timeline, but is focusing on targeting specific groups where uptake is low.

NHS England has developed a national improvement plan in collaboration with key stakeholders to improve uptake within the breast screening programme. This plan will encompass a series of evaluative projects, which are expected to report in April 2024

A range of improvements and innovations have been brought in to help improve uptake in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. For example, appointments are being made available during evenings and weekends, and in some areas cervical screening appointments can be made in any primary care setting, rather than just at one’s own general practice.

In addition, we are also working to test the effectiveness of human papillomavirus infection self-sampling as a primary cervical screening option, with individuals taking their own cervical screening sample. The findings from this evaluation will be used to inform a UK National Screening Committee recommendation, and it is expected that self-sampling could lead to an increase in uptake as it will reduce some of the barriers that prevent people from attending a screening.

Uptake in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is currently above the achievable threshold of 60%, between 1 July and 30 September 2023 it was 67.4%, and therefore the focus for this screening programme is on gradually reducing the age of the eligible cohort from 60 years old down to 50 years old, to increase to numbers eligible for this programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to then Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11063 on Cancer and Public Health, whether the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care participates in NHS Public Health Functions Agreement accountability meetings.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is currently held to account for the delivery of National Health Service public health functions through Director General-led accountability meetings, supplemented with an annual ministerial accountability meeting.

The annual ministerial NHS public health functions accountability meeting with NHS England is chaired by the minister with responsibility for public health. Other Department ministers with responsibility for relevant programmes are invited to attend, or to feed views into the discussion via the lead minister.

As the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care, I now have responsibility for screening, and engage with the national screening programme performance outside these meetings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the uptake of the cervical cancer vaccine.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The routine human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for adolescents offers a life-saving vaccine to all children in Year 8, to protect them against strains of HPV that can cause some cancers including cervical, anal, head, and neck. High-risk HPV DNA is found in over 99% of all cervical cancers. The UKHSA monitors uptake of the adolescent HPV vaccination programme, and publishes annual statistics for England and the United Kingdom, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2022-to-2023

This data is used by local NHS Screening and Immunisation Teams to develop local plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities, in collaboration with key partners such as directors of public health, and their teams in local authorities. Publication of statistical data also generates national communication activity, to raise awareness and improve uptake.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024, how frequently the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Start of for Life and Primary Car meet to discuss arrangements under section 7A for cancer screening; and on what date they last discussed that matter.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Arrangements under the section 7A agreement are negotiated at an official level. Health ministers are sighted in these arrangements, and have the opportunity to steer the process, usually feeding in through their private offices.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11063 on Cancer and Public Health, what steps the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care can take in the event that key deliverables on cancer screening under section 7A are not being delivered.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care, I have the ability to request improvement plans, trajectories, and regular meetings with NHS England, where key deliverables on any screening programme are not met.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with NHS England on ensuring that cancer is (a) diagnosed and (b) treated as quickly as possible.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department engages in ongoing discussions with NHS England, and is taking steps to reduce cancer diagnosis and treatment waiting times across England. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity.

Recently, following ministerial approval, NHS England consolidated the cancer waiting times standards on 1 October 2023. This followed the clinically led review of standards across the National Health Service, which recommended consolidating cancer waiting times from 10 standards into three. The three standards are: the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), ensuing a maximum 28-day wait for communication of a definitive cancer or non-cancer diagnosis for patients referred urgently, or those identified by NHS cancer screening; a maximum 62-day wait to first treatment from urgent general practitioner referral, NHS cancer screening, or consultant upgrade; and a maximum 31-day wait from the decision to treat to any cancer treatment starting, for all cancer patients.

To achieve the FDS target and early diagnosis, NHS England has implemented a non-symptom specific pathway for patients who present with non-specific symptoms, or combinations of non-specific symptoms, that can indicate several different cancers, and a Best Timed Practice Pathway to ensure patients are diagnosed or told that cancer is ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department plans to take to increase breast screening uptake; how much funding she plans to make available for the breast screening uptake improvement plan developed by NHS England; and what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the breast screening programme.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving uptake in the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHS BSP), and is working with NHS England on the development of the breast screening improvement plan.

At this time, NHS England has not requested any additional funding to support the delivery of the breast screening improvement plan. Assessment of the effectiveness of the NHS BSP is made through the regular accountability meetings, under the Public Health Functions Section 7A Agreement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of operations that were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed by more than two months due to the industrial action by junior doctors in 2023.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The number of operations that were cancelled due to the industrial action by junior doctors in 2023, was 157,570. Data is not held regarding operations delayed by more than two months. The National Health Service is prioritising urgent, emergency, and cancer care, and will continue to do its best to maintain appointments and elective procedures wherever possible. Cancelled appointments that need to be rescheduled, will be done so as a priority. Data on the impact of industrial action is available here:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/#heading-3

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children of which biological sex were prescribed puberty blockers in each year since 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists or ‘puberty blockers’ are used to treat several medical conditions in children and young people. These include precocious puberty, some forms of cancer, endometriosis and gender dysphoria. Information on biological sex is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will encourage the National Institute for Health and Care Research to rigorously evaluate existing research efforts and review how they can further prioritise and drive research investment for pancreatic cancer and other less survivable cancers.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in the fight against cancer, which is why the Department invests £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121 million for 2022/23.

In terms of establishing targeted funding into pancreatic cancer, the NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The Government, through the NIHR, is committed to improving research into pancreatic cancer and cancers with the poorest survival rates by funding high quality, timely research that leads to improved outcomes for patients and the public, and makes the health and social care system more efficient, effective, and safe. Research evidence is vital for improving treatments and outcomes for people, including those with pancreatic cancer and other less survivable cancers.

In 2023, the Government awarded £2 million to new interdisciplinary research teams tackling hard to treat cancers, via the Medical Research Council, which hosted a two-day cancer sandpit strategic funding opportunity, focused on technological innovation for understanding cancers with the poorest survival rates.

The NIHR has funded seven research projects for pancreatic cancer for the period 2019 to 2023, with a total committed spend of approximately £3.6 million. The NIHR also supports the delivery of pancreatic cancer research funded by those in the charity and public sectors. For example, since 2019, the NIHR Clinical Research Network has supported over 70 pancreatic cancer-related studies.

The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. All applications are assessed for funding by peer review committees. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including the quality of the proposals and their scientific potential. All applications for research into pancreatic cancer and other less survivable cancers made through open competition have been funded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will establish targeted funding to prioritise and drive research investment into pancreatic cancer and the other less survivable cancers.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in the fight against cancer, which is why the Department invests £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121 million for 2022/23.

In terms of establishing targeted funding into pancreatic cancer, the NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The Government, through the NIHR, is committed to improving research into pancreatic cancer and cancers with the poorest survival rates by funding high quality, timely research that leads to improved outcomes for patients and the public, and makes the health and social care system more efficient, effective, and safe. Research evidence is vital for improving treatments and outcomes for people, including those with pancreatic cancer and other less survivable cancers.

In 2023, the Government awarded £2 million to new interdisciplinary research teams tackling hard to treat cancers, via the Medical Research Council, which hosted a two-day cancer sandpit strategic funding opportunity, focused on technological innovation for understanding cancers with the poorest survival rates.

The NIHR has funded seven research projects for pancreatic cancer for the period 2019 to 2023, with a total committed spend of approximately £3.6 million. The NIHR also supports the delivery of pancreatic cancer research funded by those in the charity and public sectors. For example, since 2019, the NIHR Clinical Research Network has supported over 70 pancreatic cancer-related studies.

The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. All applications are assessed for funding by peer review committees. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including the quality of the proposals and their scientific potential. All applications for research into pancreatic cancer and other less survivable cancers made through open competition have been funded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s severity modifier on the prescribing of cancer medicines.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated manual for health technology evaluations in January 2022, and has introduced a number of changes to make its methods and processes fairer, faster, and more consistent.

This includes the introduction of a broader severity modifier in place of the end-of-life modifier. NICE has been monitoring the impact of the changes that it introduced and analysis carried out by NICE for the first year of the updated manual’s implementation shows that NICE’s committee accepted 11 out of 13 cases where the company applied for a severity modifier, with eight of these being for cancer medicines.

House of Hope

Bushido 100 Club

The current age of breast cancer screening for women is 50-70 year olds however research suggests there has been a rise in breast cancer in younger ages. I think it would be great if we offered screening to 28-70 year olds, to catch this disease at a much earlier stage.

Found: I am almost 29 years old and have a very aggressive form of breast cancer that has now spread to my lymph

I want the Government to put funding in place to increase resources so that all patients who have been diagnosed with cancer, including those who have been told the cancer has spread, can start treatment more quickly.

Found: I am concerned about the long waits cancer patients can experience to access treatment.

Take action to make changes for glioblastoma patients, and ensure there is enough funding for research and clinical trials. We also want the Government to promote any clinical trials to make these as accessible as possible.

Found: I would like the Government to increase funding for research into treatments for this cancer, to try

Found: The Teenage Cancer Trust and two of its supporters, the rock stars RogerDaltrey and Paul Weller, condemned

Found: facilities Cirque du Soleil Emails / RAH Newsletter Remembrance concert Christmas concerts Teenage Cancer

Found: identifies some high-profile shows such as the Eric Clapton series of concerts, the annual Teenage Cancer

Found: Tickets were being sold on the 18 March 2024 for the The Who's Teenage Cancer Trust concert online

Found: College for its graduation ceremonies, the Royal Navy for the Mountbatten Festival of Music and Teenage Cancer

Found: Its membership includes Cancer Research, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of General

Found: creating a smokefree generation could prevent almost half a million cases of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer

Found: creating a smokefree generation which could prevent over 470,000 cases of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer

Found: About 70% of lung cancer cases, the UK’s largest cause of cancer deaths, are caused by tobacco, along

Found: campuses – as well as NHS hospitals – CDCs play a vital role in identifying and treating illnesses such as cancer

Found: pancreatic cancer.

Found: Some conditions are automatically considered disabilities, such as cancer, HIV infection and multiple

Found: Some conditions are automatically considered disabilities, such as cancer, HIV infection and multiple

Found: Preventative screening programmes, including those for bowel cancer were available , and monthly audit

Found: with Oxford University 22 Pettra was a spinout from UKRI STFC in collaboration with The Institute of Cancer

Found: Waiting times for suspected and diagnosed cancer patients for February 2024

Found: Related content Child and Working Tax Credits error and fraud statistics 2019 to 2020 Cancer

Found: (For example, smoking cessation, obesity, drug and alcohol dependency, dementia and cancer. ).

Found: concerns about you taking up this appointment including your access to information in relation to cancer

Found: able to advise whether MHRA are looking to approve mirvetuximab for use in platinum resistant ovarian cancer

Found: Preventative screening programmes, including those for bowel cancer were available , and monthly audit

Found: appointments that have been identified that are critical, where GEOAmey are unable to fulfil, such as MR I’s, cancer

Found: CA125 blood test for Ovarian Cancer: FOI release

Found: system ; leukaemia; cancer of the adrenal gland.

Found: That is why we published our ambitious ten -year cancer strategy and initial action plan in June last

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cancer research in each year since 2011-12 in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms, broken down by spending through (i) NHS Research Scotland and (ii) other routes.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

Within the Scottish Government, funding for Health and Care Research comes under the policy remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO)

(A) The following table provides the amount in cash terms of CSO cancer research funding per year from 2011-12

Column 1 - NHS Research Scotland (NRS) - includes funding for the NRS Cancer Research Network; the CSO component of funding for the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow (co-funded 50:50 with Cancer Research UK); NRS Career Research Fellowships in cancer

Column 2 - Direct Funding - includes cancer projects funded through the CSO grant funding committees; Academic Fellowships in cancer funded through the CSO capacity building programmes; the CSO component of collaborative research project and fellowship funding with cancer research charities

Column 3 - total CSO cancer research funding by year

To note - for multi-year projects and fellowships, the funding figure is allocated to the year corresponding to the start date (in the case of cancer charity collaborations the funding is allocated to the year of the collaboration agreement)

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether consideration is being given, as part of the review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, to risk factors such as family history and ethnicity in improving the early detection of prostate cancer.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

A wealth of evidence is being collated and analysed as part of the 2024 Clinical Review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, including from key partners Cancer Research UK and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. All factors that are relevant in the context of symptoms suspicious of cancer based on available evidence, that could support primary care decision-making, will be considered in the Guideline review. The prostate peer review session (PRS), as part of the Review, is scheduled for May 2024.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the waiting time for a colonoscopy once a patient is notified that further investigation is required after returning a bowel screening test.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

Our priority is to ensure those people referred for suspected cancer or via screening programmes receive the appropriate diagnosis and treatment safely, based on their clinical urgency. To specifically support scope-based diagnostics, we have published a £70m Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan, including provision of additional endoscopy training places via the NHS Academy to future-proof the workforce and provide additional diagnostic capacity to reduce waiting times.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Scotland and (b) the relevant NHS boards regarding the provision of recurrent funding for (i) existing and (ii) future Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

Officials met with every Health Board’s Cancer Management Team in March 2024 to discuss their plans for implementing, or sustaining, a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service. All possible funding options for both existing and future services will require careful consideration, locally and nationally.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many patients have been diagnosed with a blood cancer through Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

The recently published University of Strathclyde evaluation report https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/88280/7/Maguire-etal-2024-Final-report-of-the-evaluation-of-rapid-cancer-diagnostic-services.pdf showed that 13.5% of cancers diagnosed through the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) were blood cancers.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on exact numbers but work is underway with Public Health Scotland to create a national RCDS data-set.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve equity of access to Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services, particularly in Scotland's more remote and rural NHS boards.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

Officials met with every Health Board’s Cancer Management Team in Scotland, including the Island Boards, in March 2024 to discuss their plans for establishing a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS). The commitment remains, as reflected in Scotland’s Cancer Strategy, to achieve population coverage of an RCDS for eligible patients by Spring 2026.

The recent University of Strathclyde evaluation report https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/88280/7/Maguire-etal-2024-Final-report-of-the-evaluation-of-rapid-cancer-diagnostic-services.pdf showed that a virtual model is well accepted by patients and will be considered by Boards in the North of Scotland.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to allowing potential cancer patients to self-refer to Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

At present, no consideration has been given for patients to self-refer to a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service. The focus remains on working towards population based coverage to an RCDS for eligible patients by Spring 2026. While we will continue to monitor emerging evidence from UK and international counterparts who have established similar Rapid Diagnostic Centre models, primary care currently play an integral role at the point of referral for RCDS patients. As well as undertaking key initial tests to support triage in secondary care, patients are informed of the process ahead so they can make informed decisions about their care.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer will be completed.

Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

The 2024 Clinical Review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer has commenced, with clinical peer review sessions running from April to October 2024. A consultation period will then follow to allow stakeholders across NHS Scotland to comment on the final version. A revised Guideline is expected to be published early 2025.