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Written Question
Breast Cancer
Wednesday 3rd September 2014

Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of avoidable deaths from breast cancer and to improve survival rates for that disease.

Answered by Jane Ellison

Achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer is key to our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives per year by 2014-2015 and improve cancer outcomes and survival, including for breast cancer. Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, published in January 2011, set out the Government’s ambition to close the gap in survival outcomes by 2014-15 and the strategy is backed with more than £750 million over this spending review period (four years) including more than £450 million to achieve early diagnosis.

Specifically on breast cancer, following successful local and regional pilots, a national breast cancer campaign targeting women aged 70 years plus ran in England only from 3 February to 16 March 2014. The campaign included television, press, direct mail and out-of-home media advertising and the key message was: ‘1 in 3 women who get breast cancer are over 70, so don’t assume you’re past it.’ The campaign was targeted at women over 70 as breast cancer survival is lower in this group than in younger women. In addition, as part of a major trial, we are extending the breast screening programme to women aged 47-49 and 71-73.

The Be Clear on Cancer campaign on breast cancer in women over 70 has been successful in raising awareness of symptoms. Since this time last year, the number of patients seen by a specialist for investigation of unusual breast symptom has risen by almost 20%.

Written Question
Breast Cancer
Wednesday 2nd July 2014

Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of avoidable deaths from breast cancer.

Answered by Jane Ellison

The Cancer Outcomes Strategy set out our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives per year by 2014-15 and is backed with more than £750 million, including more than £450 million to achieve early diagnosis by improving public awareness of the symptoms of cancer and improving access to key diagnostic tests.

Public Health England, working with the Department and NHS England, ran a national Be Clear on Cancer campaign on breast cancer in women over 70. The campaign aimed to improve awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and urge people with relevant signs and symptoms to visit their general practitioner promptly.

Screening is an important way to detect cancer early and the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (BSP) invites women aged 50 to 70 every three years. We want to expand the NHS BSP so that more women can make the important choice to take part, so the programme is currently being extended to women aged 47-49 and 71-73 as part of a major research trial. Results on the impact of the extension on breast cancer mortality will be known in the early 2020s.

Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Fetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I am delighted to have secured this important and topical debate after months of bad luck in the ballot. The House will adjourn for the Easter recess today, and I appreciate the effect of that on the number of …..."
Anas Sarwar - View Speech

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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Fetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

"I did in fact mention autism, but the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that we need direct support from the Government to help families affected by this condition.

The campaign has identified 500 families, but there are likely to be thousands of families across the country who do not know …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Fetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

"The hon. Gentleman is very lucky to have such a fantastic constituent who has put so much fantastic effort, energy and hard work not only into her own personal circumstances but into getting justice for families across the country. That says a lot about his constituent, and he is a …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Fetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

"I thank the Minister for reading out the NICE guidelines, which I have also read. When that system fails, however, as it clearly has for so many years, affecting thousands of families, what happens then?..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Fetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

"The Minister says that she likes plain language, and I, too, like plain language. With due respect, any family with a child suffering from such a condition will not want to hear strategy documents; they want to hear what specific action is to be taken to help such families, what …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Fetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

"I assure the Minister that I was not heckling her; I am too much of a gentlemen to do that. I was trying to say yes to action on proper advice for potential mothers with epilepsy and to future guidance to stop the condition happening, but my direct question was …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 12 Jul 2011
Oral Answers to Questions

"T5. Some 3,500 residents at 98 Southern Cross care homes, including 48 residents at Arcadia Gardens in my constituency, are facing an uncertain future. The Scottish Government have today said that they will work on the presumption that those people will still be in their homes after this crisis. What …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 15 Jun 2011
Caring Responsibilities

"I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this timely and important debate. There is no doubt that the proposed cuts to the employment and support allowance and the DLA will have a devastating impact on thousands of families right across the country. One such couple, Mr and Mrs McCann, wrote …..."
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