Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help reduce the time taken to diagnose myeloma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information on the average time taken to diagnose myeloma in the South East is not held centrally. We publish 28-Day Faster Diagnosis data by suspected cancer, including provider and commissioner data, monthly. The latest publication is available at the following link:
We recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that patients have timely access to diagnosis, and we remain committed to diagnosing all cancer types earlier, including myeloma. To tackle late diagnoses, the National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England, ensuring more patients benefit from quicker access to the right investigations.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS is taking to improve access to clinical trials for people with rare blood cancers.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients in the National Health Service, including those with rare blood cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.
The Department-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure, which supports NHS patients, the public, and NHS organisations across England, to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trials into rare blood cancers. NIHR infrastructure schemes aim to build research capacity and capability across all geographies, settings, and disease areas within the NHS.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve access to clinical trials in the NHS for cancer patients across the country, including patients with rare cancers.
The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.
The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research', which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them, including research into blood cancer.
Asked by: Polly Billington (Labour - East Thanet)
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 help increase early diagnosis for blood cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to support the National Health Service to diagnose and treat cancer, including blood cancers, as early and fast as possible.
To increase early diagnosis of blood cancer, the NHS has implemented non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type such as blood cancer. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England, with blood cancers being one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish statistics for the time for blood cancer to be diagnosed.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has recently started publishing information on Faster Diagnosis Standard Activity and Performance by End Reason and Suspected Tumour. This data includes suspected haematological malignancies excluding acute leukaemia. A table showing the percentage of suspected haematological malignancies excluding acute leukaemia that are either diagnosed or that have cancer ruled out within the standard diagnosis time is attached.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 potential merits of including targets to reduce the diagnosis time for myeloma in the National Cancer Plan for England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.
To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including 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: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential (a) merits of introducing a preventative screening programme for (i) kidney and (ii) chest conditions and (b) impact of such a programme on (A) early detection, (B) patient outcomes and (C) long-term cost savings to the NHS.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the evidence to screen for kidney disease (glomerulonephritis) in 2011 and recommended against screening because
However, the National Health Service Health Check assesses for high blood pressure and high blood sugar which are risk factors for the development of both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Where an individual’s NHS Health Check indicates high blood pressure or high blood sugar, it is for their general practitioner to consider the results, and then, if required, undertake further clinical investigation and treatment where appropriate.
The 10-Year Health Plan outlines our intention to publish a Modern Service Framework for CVD, which will identify the best evidenced interventions, set clear quality standards, drive innovation in CVD prevention and management, and reduce unwarranted variation.
The UK NSC’s recommendation to screen for lung cancer was accepted in 2023 and a national programme is in the process of being rolled out.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 monitor progress on access to new NHS-approved drugs for blood cancer patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE has been able to recommend a number of medicines for use in the NHS for the treatment of different types of blood cancer.
NHS England funds NICE-recommended cancer medicines from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of a positive draft NICE guidance, bringing forward patient access by approximately five months than would otherwise be the case. All drugs on the Cancer Drugs Fund have reached expected uptake levels within three months of a positive NICE recommendation.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national cancer plan for England will include targets to improve the diagnosis of myeloma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.
To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 early diagnosis rates of blood cancers in Shropshire.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to support the National Health Service to diagnose and treat cancer, including blood cancers, as early and fast as possible. We recognise that patients with cancers with non-specific symptoms (NSS) such as blood cancer, are waiting too long for diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
To tackle late, emergency setting diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS has implemented NSS pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England, including in Shropshire, with blood cancers being one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 assess the potential impact of centralised specialist services on patient outcomes for different blood cancers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year. The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including blood cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart, and the Department has been working closely with patient organisations and other cancer partners as part of our engagement to inform the development of the plan. This includes patient and family engagement events with partners such as Macmillan and Maggies, and engagement with blood cancer charities and the NHS Patient and Public Voice Forum.
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes. To tackle the late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways. We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating them faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. Furthermore, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to putting digital health at the heart of the future health service, and integrating that with a single patient record and neighbourhood health services, will mean that cancer patients will get the joined-up care they deserve.
The National Cancer Plan will also seek to ensure that high-quality care is available to patients across the country, including patients in rural areas. This will build on the current national cancer audits, which are seeking to promote best practice and aim to reduce inequalities in the access to, or the quality of, treatment. Further details on the steps that will be taken to achieve this will be set out in the plan. Service providers are responsible for making clinical decisions about prioritisation in response to capacity constraints, taking into consideration national guidance, and access and waiting time standards, so that patients are prioritised.
Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potential treatment for a range of malignant and non-malignant indications, including myeloma. HSCT is a specialised service and is the commissioning responsibility of integrated care boards.
NHS England is the accountable commissioner for HSCT and has published a national service specification that all commissioned HSCT services need to meet. The list of commissioned indications is covered by the NHS England Clinical Commissioning Policy available at the following link:
There are currently no plans to expand the number of specialised centres that deliver HSCT treatments.
Blood cancer in and of itself is not a disease that is specialised, however, some of the treatments used to manage blood cancers are within specialised services, such as HSCT. NHS England publishes national service specifications for specialised services and monitors the quality-of-service provision and patient outcomes via the NHS England quality dashboards, and in the case of HSCT, by also reviewing the service-level reports published by the British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. The findings of the reviews of these reports are discussed with NHS England regional teams who determine any appropriate action that needs to be taken with the providers within their region.