Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 19 December 2022 to Question 108144 on NHS: Staff, with which (a) trades unions, (b) medical royal colleges, (c) NHS system leaders, (d) voluntary organisations his Department consulted on the NHS workforce plan.
Answered by Will Quince
The following table shows the organisations that have been engaged. This list is not exhaustive because NHS England and Health Education England leaders and programme teams are also working with external stakeholders and their contribution is also informing the plan’s development.
Trade unions, royal colleges and representative bodies | Regulators | Members of Cancer Charities Group |
Unison | Professional Standards Authority | Alike |
Unite | General Medical Council | AMMF – the cholangiocarcinoma charity |
GMB | Care Quality Commission | Anthony Nolan |
Managers in Partnership | Healthcare and Professions Council | Blood Cancer UK |
British Medical Association | Nursing and Midwifery Council | Bloodwise |
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges | Think tanks | Bone Cancer Research Trust |
Royal College of Nursing | Nuffield Trust | Bowel Cancer UK |
Royal College of Midwives | The Health Foundation | Brain Trust – the brain cancer people |
Royal College of Physicians | The King’s Fund | The Brain Tumour Charity |
Royal College of Surgeons | Regulators | Brain Tumour Research |
Royal College of General Practitioners | Professional Standards Authority | British Liver Trust |
Royal College of Psychiatrists | General Medical Council | Breast Cancer Now |
Royal College of Anaesthetists | Care Quality Commission | Cancer 52 |
Royal College of Pathologists | Healthcare and Professions Council | Cancer Research UK |
Royal College of Ophthalmologists | Nursing and Midwifery Council | CATTS (Cancer Awareness for Teens & Twenties) |
Royal College of Occupational Therapists | Think tanks | Chai Cancer Care |
Royal Pharmaceutical Society | Nuffield Trust | Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group |
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists | The Health Foundation | CLIC Sargent |
Royal College of Ophthalmologists | The King’s Fund | CoppaFeel! |
Royal College of Emergency Medicine |
| DKMS |
Royal College of Podiatry |
| Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust |
The Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine |
| Eve Appeal |
The Society of Radiographers |
| Fight Bladder Cancer |
Institute of Osteopathy |
| GO Girls Support |
College of Operating Department Practitioners |
| Guts UK |
British Association of Art Therapists |
| Haven House |
British Association of Drama therapists |
| Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust |
British Association for Music Therapy |
| Kidney Cancer UK |
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists |
| Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce |
British Dietetic Association |
| Leukaemia Care |
British and Irish Orthoptic Society |
| Leukaemia UK |
British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists |
| Lymphoma Action |
College of Paramedics |
| Macmillan Cancer Support |
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy |
| Maggie's – everyone’s home of cancer care |
College of General Dentistry |
| Marie Curie |
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive healthcare |
| MDS UK Patient Support Group |
Queen’s Nursing Institute |
| Melanoma Focus |
Institute of Health Visiting |
| Melanoma UK |
British Society of Rheumatology |
| Mesothelioma |
The Richmond Group of Charities (including Macmillan Cancer Support, Diabetes UK, Asthma UK, Age UK) |
| Mylenoma UK |
Cancer Charities Group (*see separate list for members) |
| National Cancer Research Institute |
Council of Deans of Health |
| Neuroendocrine Cancer UK |
Medical Schools Council |
| OcuMel UK |
Universities UK |
| Ovacome |
University Alliance |
| Ovarian Cancer Action |
Office for Students |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action |
Skills for Care |
| Pancreatic Cancer UK |
Local Government Association |
| Paul's Cancer Support |
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services |
| Penny Brohn UK |
Social Partnership Forum |
| Prostate Cancer Research |
NHS providers |
| Prostate Cancer UK |
NHS Employers |
| Race Against Blood Cancer |
The Shelford Group |
| Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation |
ICS leaders |
| Salivary Gland Cancer UK |
NHS Confederation |
| Sarcoma UK |
Community Providers Network |
| Shine Cancer Support |
|
| Solving Kids Cancer |
|
| Target Ovarian Cancer |
|
| Teenage Cancer Trust |
|
| Trekstock |
|
| The Joshua Tree |
|
| WMUK – The charity for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia |
|
| World Cancer Research Fund |
Further discussions will take place before the plan is finalised. This will include engagement with patient representative groups. NHS England can discuss with any organisations interested in the development of the Plan.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
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 ensure that patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer can access high-quality mental health and wellbeing support.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England have asked Cancer Alliances to map out and identify any gaps in psychosocial support provision as part of the 2022/23 planning guidance and are supporting adults experiencing cancer with access to Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme mental health services, which provide evidence based psychological therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to improve access to screening services for gynaecological cancers since the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee has considered evidence to screen for gynaecological cancers and there is currently a national screening programme for cervical cancer. The ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign focusing on abdominal and urological symptoms launched on 31 October 2022 and aims to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
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 for the implications of his policies of the report, Pathfinder by Target Ovarian Cancer on awareness, diagnosis, access to treatment and support for sufferers of this cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the NHS Cancer Programme welcomes the report and continues to work with Target Ovarian Cancer and other stakeholders to improve outcomes for people with ovarian cancer.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 (a) GPs and (b) patients are aware of the (i) warning signs and (ii) symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2020, NHS England introduced the early cancer diagnosis service specification for Primary Care Networks to review the quality of referrals. NHS England is also embedding clinical decision support tools for cancer within general practice and online and in-person cancer education programmes are available, include specific courses on ovarian cancer. The current ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign is raising awareness of abdominal and urological symptoms, which addresses symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of the average time taken to diagnose ovarian cancer (a) in North Staffordshire and (b) nationally.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to make a specific assessment.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 support the development of novel methods for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Long Term Plan sets out the ambition for 75% of cancers to be diagnosed at stage one or two by 2028. A recent ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign focused on the barriers to earlier presentation in all cancer types, which has led to a 1600% increase in visits to advice on cancer symptoms at NHS.UK.
The National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients presenting with symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type, with 96 pathways currently operational in England. These pathways will support the NHS to meet the new Faster Diagnosis Standard which will ensure all patients referred for the investigation of suspected cancer receive an outcome within 28 days.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
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 effectiveness of awareness campaigns for ovarian cancer and delivering a shorter diagnostic pathway.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is currently running a campaign focusing on increasing earlier diagnosis of a range of abdominal and urological cancers, including ovarian cancer, which was previously conducted in 2020 and 2021. In 2021 a survey of the target audience showed that knowledge of the key symptoms of abdominal and urological cancer increased by 6% during the campaign.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, whether new NICE guidelines for gynaecological conditions have been developed since the publication of that strategy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not published any new guidelines in this area since 20 July 2022. NICE has existing guidelines on gynaecological conditions and fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth and is developing new and updated guidelines on endometriosis; intrapartum care for healthy women and babies; menopause; ovarian cancer; fertility problems; and urinary tract infections. Additionally, NICE has published or is developing other guidance and quality standards in these areas.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 fertility preservation for endometriosis patients is given parity with those who have ovarian removal for (a) cancer and (b) other causes.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for funding decisions for health services in England, based on the clinical needs of the local population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment and preservation in England.
NICE’s fertility guidelines currently includes those people with cancer who wish to preserve fertility. NICE is reviewing its fertility guidelines and will consider whether its recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment and preservation are still appropriate. We expect that this review will be published in 2024.