Asked by: Richard Baker (Labour - Glenrothes and Mid Fife)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) training and (b) support has been introduced to help (i) GPs and (ii) other clinicians to (A) identify and (B) diagnose cancers associated with welding fume at an earlier stage since the categorisation of welding fume as carcinogenic by the Health and Safety Executive in 2019.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee general practitioners (GPs) is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. Additionally, GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on cancer, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.
NHS England funds delivery of GatewayC, the leading online early cancer diagnosis e-training resource for GPs and primary care staff. Where relevant, e-learning courses contain a risk factors section, and in the current update of the existing Lung Cancer course, GatewayC has added welding fumes to the risk factor card on 'chemicals and workplace risk'. From the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance, the increased risk is primarily for lung cancer, but there is also some evidence of an increased risk of kidney cancer. The upcoming Urological Cancers course doesn't directly refer to this but has a cover-all statement on workplace risk, stating: 'exposure to certain chemicals at work may increase the risk of bladder and kidney cancer'.
NHS England has also significantly expanded the Lung Cancer Screening Programme, formerly known as the Targeted Lung Health Check. The programme currently operates across more than a quarter of England, prioritising areas with the highest lung cancer mortality and levels of deprivation. Mobile scanning units in community settings, such as supermarket car parks, have helped to improve access and uptake. The programme is on track to offer screening nationally by 2029, with a target to invite at least 50% of the eligible population by March 2026.