Cancer: Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to (a) improve the early detection of cancer, (b) reduce cancer care waiting times and (c) increase cancer survival rates.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
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. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis.
Reducing waiting times for cancer care is also a priority for the Government. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, we have delivered an extra 100,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients across the country, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will aim to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and will ultimately bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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