Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, (b) the NHS, (c) Cabinet colleagues and (d) other stakeholders on indication-specific pricing of medications used in the treatment of more than one form of cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not held any meetings specifically on the topic of indication-specific pricing of medications used in the treatment of more than one form of cancer.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 merits of including PSA testing in routine NHS health checks.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has commissioned a university to carry out a high quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes considering evidence that looks at targeted screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, as well as looking at other screening tests.
The UK NSC’s previous review in 2020 advised against screening because the current best test, the PSA test, is not accurate. As a result, it can lead to some men receiving false reassurance when they do actually have prostate cancer, and others receiving unnecessary further tests when they did not have prostate cancer.
We need a better test, which is why the Government has invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, to look for a better test.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will announce a timeline for the NHS Genomic Medicine Service to establish a public facing dashboard setting out data on (a) turnaround times and (b) volume of testing activity across each genomic laboratory hub.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since December 2023, National Health Service genomic testing activity data has been published on the NHS England website, and is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/
This standardised data is collected from all NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). GLHs and NHS England will continue to publish genomic testing activity data on a quarterly basis. Currently, only activity data is published, however there are plans to add turnaround time data in future publications.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to establish a regular bladder cancer audit to (a) reduce data gaps in the reporting of (i) incidence and (ii) staging, (b) capture data on inequalities and (c) provide an evidence base for addressing unwarranted variation in early diagnosis and outcomes for bladder cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Cancer Programme commissioned the Royal College of Surgeons to deliver six new clinical audits, in primary breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney cancer, on top of four existing audits in bowel, lung, oesophago-gastric, and prostate cancer. These audits were chosen because analysts considered that they are the cancers which audits would have the most potential to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and outcomes. For these reasons, there are no plans to undertake a clinical audit for bladder cancer.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with bladder cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor the availability of cancer services during the reorganisation of NHS England into his Department.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst this transformation takes place, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, and we will work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.
We continue to work to reduce the time that people are waiting for a diagnosis of cancer and to start treatment, including through the Government’s investment of £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it. We will also support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
To achieve this, in line with 2025/26 Planning Guidance, we have asked systems to continue to improve performance against the 28-day faster diagnosis standard to 80%, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard to 75% by March 2026.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review (a) guidelines and (b) referral criteria for the direct rectal examination for prostate cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all patients with cancer, including prostate cancer, are diagnosed faster and more accurately, with the most appropriate diagnostic methods available. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on best practice for health and social care professionals in England.
Current NICE guidance does not recommend digital rectal examination for diagnosing prostate cancer. NICE does recommend digital rectal examination as part of the physical examination that should be offered to all men with lower urinary tract symptoms as part of their initial assessment. The guidelines are available at the following link:
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 on the potential impact of abolishing NHS England on the availability of (a) abiraterone and (b) other similar drugs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst this transformation takes place, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and will work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety. Throughout the organisational change, NHS England will continue to undertake all its statutory functions, until parliamentary time allows for legislative changes to be made.
Responsible commissioners will continue to be required to fund medicines for eligible patients in line with recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 the availability of availability of cancer drugs is maintained during the reorganisation of NHS England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst this transformation takes place, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and will work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety. Throughout the organisational change, NHS England will continue to undertake all its statutory functions, until parliamentary time allows for legislative changes to be made.
Responsible commissioners will continue to be required to fund medicines for eligible patients in line with recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to require Genomic Laboratory Hubs to adopt standardised reporting templates for genomics reports.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Professional groups, including the Association for Clinical Genomic Science, produce best practice guidance and standard templates for members on reporting genomic results to clinicians. Further information on the Association for Clinical Genomic Science is available at the following link:
In line with the data and digital elements in the NHS Genomics Strategy, moving forward, National Health Service Genomic Laboratory Hubs will be mandated to provide standardised reporting and structured data. Further information on the NHS Genomics Strategy is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/genomics/genomics-strategy/
This would support a consistent approach to reporting genomic data and enable the development of a Unified Genomic Record. This would enable patients to access insights from their genomic data where and when they are needed, as well as facilitating access to clinical trials, supporting other research and informing population health initiatives.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to fund a single digital tracking system for cancer tissue samples provided for genomic testing, so that that they may be tracked at every point of their journey.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS). A central feature of the NHS GMS is the National Genomic Test Directory. The Test Directory outlines the full range of genomic tests that are commissioned and sets out the technology by which tests are available.
NHS GMS provides a national Genomics Unit which is responsible for strategic oversight, direction, commissioning and funding and performance monitoring of genomics service.
As the Department focuses on shifting from analogue to digital, we will continue to review opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence and digital innovations to speed up diagnostic performance, including for genomic testing, and bring down waiting times that will ultimately improve patient care and outcomes. Furthermore, to support more extensive cancer genomic testing, NHS England is working to ensure collaboration between pathology and genomics networks to address issues including capacity, networking and optimisation of cancer tissue pathways.
Additionally, the National Cancer Plan, due for publishing later in 2025, will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care- as well as prevention, research and innovation, including for genomic testing pathways.