Sep. 09 2024
Source Page: Communications regarding cancer strategy: FOI ReviewFound: Communications regarding cancer strategy: FOI Review
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussion with NHS England about improving early detection of Ductal Carcinoma in situ in women.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. NHS England has an ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028, which will help tens of thousands of people live longer. The National Health Service in England carries out approximately 2.1 million breast cancer screens each year in hospitals and mobile screening vans, usually in convenient community locations.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is usually detected on a mammogram through the breast screening programme. In the United Kingdom, one in five breast cancers found by screening are non-invasive breast cancer, including DCIS. The Department and NHS England have regular ongoing meetings in regard to the breast screening programme and breast cancer awareness.
The Department is committed to improving waiting times for cancer patients across England by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.
Oct. 26 2011
Source Page: One to one support for cancer patients. 96 p.Found: One to one support for cancer patients. 96 p.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment in Merseyside.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department is taking steps to reduce cancer diagnosis and treatment waiting times across England, including Merseyside. 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. Additionally, as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England are providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.
The latest published cancer performance data for Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) shows that in March 2024, 76% of patients referred met the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), which aims to ensure patients have cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral from a general practice or screening services. This surpasses the 75% standard and shows an improvement of 5.8% since March 2023.
Similarly, the latest performance data for Cheshire and Merseyside ICB shows that of those referred for cancer treatment in in March 2024, 92.4% met the 31-day wait from a decision to treat to first or subsequent treatment of cancer combined standard, and 75.4% met the 62-day referral to first definitive treatment for cancer combined standard. According to data from NHS England, this is above national cancer performance for both treatment standards.
Sep. 09 2024
Source Page: Communications regarding cancer strategy: FOI ReviewFound: Communications regarding cancer strategy: FOI Review
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure equity and quality in care and support across the entire cancer pathway, including (1) fairness and equity in diagnostics, (2) on time treatment, and (3) patients being offered conversations about the additional care and support they may need.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department is taking steps to ensure equity and quality in care and support for patients is available across the entire cancer pathway. Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer diagnosis and treatment are a priority for the Government, as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as this is a key contributor to reducing cancer health inequalities. 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. As part of this, we are increasing diagnostic capacity by rolling out community diagnostic centres across England, with capacity prioritised for cancer checks. Additionally, and as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.
The Department's ministers and officials frequently meet with key stakeholders within the cancer community, including discussions on support for patients and their families. The National Health Service provides personalised cancer care and support plans, to support both patients and their families at all stages of their cancer journey. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.
General practice surgeries also conduct cancer care reviews at regular intervals after cancer diagnosis, to offer support with any needs patients may have. This includes providing access to other specialist-led services who work alongside patients’ medical teams, to support patients and their families, such as counsellors, rehabilitation specialists, or social prescribers, who can connect you to community groups or services for more support.
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for cancer patients. NHS England provides access to a personal health budget, which is an amount of NHS money that is allocated to support the health and wellbeing needs of a patient, if eligible.
Sep. 09 2024
Source Page: Lymphoedema: prevention and management in people with early, locally advanced, and advanced breast cancer (update)Found: Lymphoedema: prevention and management in people with early, locally advanced, and advanced breast cancer
Sep. 05 2024
Source Page: Lymphoedema: prevention and management in people with early, locally advanced, and advanced breast cancer (update)Found: Lymphoedema: prevention and management in people with early, locally advanced, and advanced breast cancer
Sep. 09 2024
Source Page: Lymphoedema: prevention and management in people with early, locally advanced, and advanced breast cancer (update)Found: Lymphoedema: prevention and management in people with early, locally advanced, and advanced breast cancer
Found: Pembrolizumab with olaparib and chemoradiation for previously untreated limited-stage ID6412 small-cell lung cancer