Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to reducing waiting times for diagnosis and treatment of cancer, including for ovarian cancer. We will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography.
The Government is investing an extra £26 billion in the NHS and opening up community diagnostic centres (CDCs) at evening and weekends, to help diagnose cancer earlier. We are now delivering additional checks, tests and scans at 170 CDCs.
Furthermore, NHS England has completed the national roll-out of Non-Specific Symptom pathways to support faster diagnosis of cancer in patients who present with symptoms that do not align with a single cancer site.
We have exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments, having now delivered over five million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and improving this country’s cancer survival rates.
Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years. To do this, we will deliver targeted improvements and interventions, drive research and innovation, focus on prevention, and ensure patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered shortening the diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not considered shortening the diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer. It is, however, a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including ovarian cancer, as quickly as possible, to treat it faster, and to improve outcomes. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer to meet the faster diagnosis standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent referral by a GP or screening programme to patients being told that they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out.
NHS England is supporting general practitioners in diagnosing ovarian cancer earlier in various ways. This includes encouraging GP direct access to tests for patients who fall outside of urgent suspected cancer referrals and sharing evidence-based assessments of where cancer recognition and referral guidance could be improved with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to inform referral updates. NHS England also funds Gateway-C, an early diagnosis education platform aimed at primary care, which includes a module on ovarian cancer.
Furthermore, the National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for ovarian cancer research within NHS services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.
Examples of NIHR investments in ovarian cancer research includes the ROCkeTS study, which aims to identify the best diagnostic tests for ovarian cancer. The NIHR has also funded the MR in Ovarian Cancer study, which studies the impact of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging on the staging and management of patients with ovarian cancer.
The Frimley Park Integrated Care System, located within the Surrey Heath constituency, is part of the NIHR’s Research Delivery Network, and plays a key role in supporting the delivery of research, including into ovarian cancer.
The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ovarian cancer research.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes, including through research, for all cancer patients in England, including for ovarian cancer.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase (a) awareness of the symptoms, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of ovarian cancer in Shropshire.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that many cancer patients are left waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment, including for ovarian cancer. The Government will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive and have an improved experience across the system, including in Shropshire.
NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign in 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can indicate ovarian cancer. NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer.
As a first step to reducing waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment, the NHS has now exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million more appointments.
To ensure that women have access to the best treatment for ovarian cancer, NHS England commissioned an audit on ovarian cancer. The audit looks at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done much better. The audit published its second report in September 2025 and officials across the Government are considering its findings.
The National Cancer Plan, due for publication in the new year, will include further details on how the NHS will improve care for cancer patients, including those with ovarian cancer in Shropshire.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve NHS public health messaging to ensure that women understand the difference between (a) cervical and (b) ovarian cancer symptoms in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that many cancer patients are still left waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, including for ovarian cancer. The Government will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive and have an improved experience across the system, including in Surrey Heath.
As a first step to reducing waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment, the NHS has now exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million more appointments.
There is currently no screening programme for ovarian cancer. In June 2016, the UK National Screening Committee recommended not to introduce a national screening programme for ovarian cancer. This is because there is not a test that reliably picks up ovarian cancer at an early stage.
However, NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign in January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can indicate ovarian cancer.
NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. This information outlines the differences between cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, and can be found on the NHS.UK website, which is available at the following link:
To ensure women have access to the best treatment for ovarian cancer, NHS England commissioned an audit on ovarian cancer. The audit looks at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done much better. The audit published its second report in September 2025 and officials across the Government are considering its findings.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve care for cancer patients, including those with ovarian cancer in Surrey Heath. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for ovarian cancer (a) screening and (b) diagnosis within NHS services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that many cancer patients are still left waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, including for ovarian cancer. The Government will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive and have an improved experience across the system, including in Surrey Heath.
As a first step to reducing waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment, the NHS has now exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million more appointments.
There is currently no screening programme for ovarian cancer. In June 2016, the UK National Screening Committee recommended not to introduce a national screening programme for ovarian cancer. This is because there is not a test that reliably picks up ovarian cancer at an early stage.
However, NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign in January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can indicate ovarian cancer.
NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. This information outlines the differences between cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, and can be found on the NHS.UK website, which is available at the following link:
To ensure women have access to the best treatment for ovarian cancer, NHS England commissioned an audit on ovarian cancer. The audit looks at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done much better. The audit published its second report in September 2025 and officials across the Government are considering its findings.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve care for cancer patients, including those with ovarian cancer in Surrey Heath. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of ovarian cancer treatment services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that many cancer patients are still left waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, including for ovarian cancer. The Government will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive and have an improved experience across the system, including in Surrey Heath.
As a first step to reducing waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment, the NHS has now exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million more appointments.
There is currently no screening programme for ovarian cancer. In June 2016, the UK National Screening Committee recommended not to introduce a national screening programme for ovarian cancer. This is because there is not a test that reliably picks up ovarian cancer at an early stage.
However, NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign in January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can indicate ovarian cancer.
NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. This information outlines the differences between cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, and can be found on the NHS.UK website, which is available at the following link:
To ensure women have access to the best treatment for ovarian cancer, NHS England commissioned an audit on ovarian cancer. The audit looks at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done much better. The audit published its second report in September 2025 and officials across the Government are considering its findings.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve care for cancer patients, including those with ovarian cancer in Surrey Heath. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with female reproductive systems are informed about symptoms of (a) ovarian and (b) other gynaecological cancers through NHS cervical screening programmes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England works to ensure that core public information on screening is easily accessible and understandable to the public, and it regularly and systematically reviews this information.
Earlier this year, NHS England updated its cervical screening guidance to include that cervical screening is not a check for other cancers of the reproductive system, such as ovary, womb, vulval, or vaginal cancer. This guidance is available at the following link:
The guidance advises that you should not wait to contact a general practitioner if you have any concerns.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to monitor people with inherited cancer risk for less survivable cancers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is supporting NHS England with initiatives to monitor people with an inherited risk of less survivable cancers. The 10-Year Health Plan commits to expanding genomic testing for inherited causes of major diseases to allow for earlier detection and intervention, including for cancer.
In June 2024, NHS England launched the national NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme to identify cancer earlier for people with Jewish ancestry, including genetic testing for patients diagnosed historically with an eligible breast or ovarian cancer. BRCA genetic mutations carry a risk of developing other cancers such as pancreatic cancer.
For pancreatic cancer, which the latest data showed has the lowest survivable rate with inherited risk, NHS England is working with The European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatitis and Familial Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer UK, and Cancer Alliances to improve surveillance pathways and access to surveillance for people with inherited high risk of pancreatic cancer.
In June 2025, NHS England launched a new initiative for general practices to analyse patient records to identify people aged over 60 years old who have the key early warning signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer including diabetes and sudden weight loss. Additionally, Pancreatic Cancer UK has launched the Family History Checker, supported by NHS England. The tool allows people, and their families, affected by pancreatic cancer to self-assess if they have inherited risk.
Furthermore, improving the early detection of cancers, including less survival cancers, is also a priority for the National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Thomas of Winchester (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they will give to recent research which has shown that a blood test can detect ovarian cancer.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to improving cancer care for patients across England, including those with ovarian cancer.
As the chances of survival are higher if a cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, early diagnosis is a key priority for the Government. Several tests are currently used to detect ovarian cancer including ultrasound scans, biopsies and blood tests.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients including those with ovarian cancer. In addition to speeding up diagnosis and treatment it will aim to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and to clinical and will ultimately bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. The Department ran a Call for Evidence to inform the development of the national cancer plan, including a question on priorities for cancer research. Over 11,000 responses were received, and these responses have been analysed to prioritise recommendations in the Plan.
The Government recognises that investment is needed across the research pathway, from cellular biology and drug discovery through to translation and application. At the start of that pathway, the Government funds the Medical Research Council through UK Research and Innovation, which in turn works closely with the National Institute for Health and Care Research to identify emerging, viable prospects for translational research.
Alongside, the Government is supporting the Private Members Bill on rare cancers tabled by the Hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Scott Arthur MP). In developing the bill, a wide range of research and evidence has been considered. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials and research into rare cancers, such as ovarian cancer, to take place in England by ensuring the patient population can be easily contacted by researchers.
More generally, across the field of cancer research, the Department works with relevant bodies to consider the impact of emerging research and associated outcomes, where possible and appropriate. As the question does not name the specific research programme, it is not possible to provide any further detail about the Department’s or associated bodies’ consideration to the research to which the question refers.