Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding allocated to cancer research by his Department; and if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing such funding.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Cancer remains a priority area for the Government, and £1.5 billion has been invested on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s research expenditure for all cancers was over £121.8 million for 2022/23, with more spent on cancer than any other disease group. The overall budget for research investment is agreed with the Treasury at the outset of each Spending Review period, and the Department regularly engages with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about a range of issues.
Our investments in cancer are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and care.
The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including all cancer types. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients, health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 (a) pancreatic cancer and (b) cystic fibrosis patients have access to Creon.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe, and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints in producing the volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.
We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.
We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and to help mitigate risks to patients.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to (a) raise awareness of and (b) help increase stem cell donation.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department’s Stem Cell Programme is providing £2.4 million of funding for the period 2022 to 2025. The programme is being delivered by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), and Anthony Nolan. It aims to enhance the resilience of the United Kingdom’s stem cell supply by strategically recruiting donors, particularly those most likely to donate, and to address health disparities through targeted campaigns, with a focus on ethnic minority communities. By increasing the pool of potential donors, the programme seeks to improve the availability of matches in the UK, ultimately reducing waiting times for patients in need of stem cell treatment.
The UK aligned registry has over 2 million potential stem cell donors registered. NHSBT and Anthony Nolan are raising awareness of the importance of stem cell donation and increasing the number of donors on the register through a range of methods including partnering with community organisations, working with volunteer student groups, and engaging with active blood, plasma, and platelet donors.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 support delivery of (a) blood and (b) other cancer clinical trials.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
£1.5 billion per year is invested by the Department of Health and Social Care on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).The NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was over £121.8 million for 2022/23, with more spent on cancer than any other disease group. Over £20 million of this was spent on Leukaemia research specifically.
In 2022/23 alone, the NIHR Cancer Research Network supported over 950 cancer research studies involving over 90,000 participants. Further investments in 10 Biomedical Research Centres and a network of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres are supporting the discovery, development, and testing of new cancer treatments, including through hospital-based clinical trials, across the country.
The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including blood and all other cancers. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality, rather than against specific disease funding allocations. We would welcome more applications from researchers working on cancer prevention, treatment, and care.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on ensuring that all children and young people are enabled to (a) participate in research and (b) access clinical trials, where appropriate to support their treatment and care.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department is responsible for healthcare in England. In Northern Ireland, health is a transferred matter, and for Scotland and Wales, health is a devolved matter. The Government has not yet made a formal assessment on a cancer plan for children and young people, or a United Kingdom-wide cancer needs delivery group. However, as part of the Department’s work to improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England, Department officials have previously undertaken some engagement work with stakeholders across the cancer sector to gain a further understanding of the unique needs and challenges for children and young people with cancer in England. This engagement included exploring key issues in relation to detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation. While the initial focus has been on children and young people’s cancer services in England, the Department is keen to expand collaboration in order to benefit children and young people’s cancer outcomes as widely as possible.
Department officials regularly meet with counterparts from other Government departments and the devolved administrations, to support research and access to clinical trials across the UK. The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for children and young people. This will involve making it easier for patients, service users, and members of the public across the UK to access and participate in research, if they want to. Our aim is to lead the world in clinical trials and ensure that all patients, their families, and their carers are empowered to directly and proactively explore research opportunities, and to make informed decisions about participating in research.
At this stage the Department has not made a formal assessment of the adequacy of support for travel for young cancer patients, including schemes for young cancer patients from Northern Ireland travelling to receive treatment in England, or the merits of establishing a UK-wide travel fund. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Young Lives vs Cancer entitled Running on Empty: Research exploring the costs young cancer patients and their families face travelling for treatment, published in June 2023, if he will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of travel cost support schemes for young cancer patients and (b) the potential merits of establishing a UK-wide travel fund for young cancer patients.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department is responsible for healthcare in England. In Northern Ireland, health is a transferred matter, and for Scotland and Wales, health is a devolved matter. The Government has not yet made a formal assessment on a cancer plan for children and young people, or a United Kingdom-wide cancer needs delivery group. However, as part of the Department’s work to improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England, Department officials have previously undertaken some engagement work with stakeholders across the cancer sector to gain a further understanding of the unique needs and challenges for children and young people with cancer in England. This engagement included exploring key issues in relation to detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation. While the initial focus has been on children and young people’s cancer services in England, the Department is keen to expand collaboration in order to benefit children and young people’s cancer outcomes as widely as possible.
Department officials regularly meet with counterparts from other Government departments and the devolved administrations, to support research and access to clinical trials across the UK. The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for children and young people. This will involve making it easier for patients, service users, and members of the public across the UK to access and participate in research, if they want to. Our aim is to lead the world in clinical trials and ensure that all patients, their families, and their carers are empowered to directly and proactively explore research opportunities, and to make informed decisions about participating in research.
At this stage the Department has not made a formal assessment of the adequacy of support for travel for young cancer patients, including schemes for young cancer patients from Northern Ireland travelling to receive treatment in England, or the merits of establishing a UK-wide travel fund. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on (a) the adequacy of current travel costs support schemes for young cancer patients from Northern Ireland travelling to receive treatment in England and (b) the potential merits of establishing a UK-wide Travel Fund for young cancer patients to support with the cost of travel to attend specialist treatment across the UK.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department is responsible for healthcare in England. In Northern Ireland, health is a transferred matter, and for Scotland and Wales, health is a devolved matter. The Government has not yet made a formal assessment on a cancer plan for children and young people, or a United Kingdom-wide cancer needs delivery group. However, as part of the Department’s work to improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England, Department officials have previously undertaken some engagement work with stakeholders across the cancer sector to gain a further understanding of the unique needs and challenges for children and young people with cancer in England. This engagement included exploring key issues in relation to detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation. While the initial focus has been on children and young people’s cancer services in England, the Department is keen to expand collaboration in order to benefit children and young people’s cancer outcomes as widely as possible.
Department officials regularly meet with counterparts from other Government departments and the devolved administrations, to support research and access to clinical trials across the UK. The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for children and young people. This will involve making it easier for patients, service users, and members of the public across the UK to access and participate in research, if they want to. Our aim is to lead the world in clinical trials and ensure that all patients, their families, and their carers are empowered to directly and proactively explore research opportunities, and to make informed decisions about participating in research.
At this stage the Department has not made a formal assessment of the adequacy of support for travel for young cancer patients, including schemes for young cancer patients from Northern Ireland travelling to receive treatment in England, or the merits of establishing a UK-wide travel fund. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 whole-UK approach to addressing the unique needs of all children and young people with cancer; if he will establish a dedicated cross-UK group to deliver on these needs; and if he will take steps to bring forward a cancer plan for children and young people.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department is responsible for healthcare in England. In Northern Ireland, health is a transferred matter, and for Scotland and Wales, health is a devolved matter. The Government has not yet made a formal assessment on a cancer plan for children and young people, or a United Kingdom-wide cancer needs delivery group. However, as part of the Department’s work to improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England, Department officials have previously undertaken some engagement work with stakeholders across the cancer sector to gain a further understanding of the unique needs and challenges for children and young people with cancer in England. This engagement included exploring key issues in relation to detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation. While the initial focus has been on children and young people’s cancer services in England, the Department is keen to expand collaboration in order to benefit children and young people’s cancer outcomes as widely as possible.
Department officials regularly meet with counterparts from other Government departments and the devolved administrations, to support research and access to clinical trials across the UK. The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for children and young people. This will involve making it easier for patients, service users, and members of the public across the UK to access and participate in research, if they want to. Our aim is to lead the world in clinical trials and ensure that all patients, their families, and their carers are empowered to directly and proactively explore research opportunities, and to make informed decisions about participating in research.
At this stage the Department has not made a formal assessment of the adequacy of support for travel for young cancer patients, including schemes for young cancer patients from Northern Ireland travelling to receive treatment in England, or the merits of establishing a UK-wide travel fund. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.