Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to introduce a stand‑alone clinical rule for suspected bowel cancer, including for patients under 50, to allow timely referral for (a) further investigation and (b) a second opinion at first presentation.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for making decisions on whether its published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence or emerging issues not in the scope of the original guideline. NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance, and decisions on whether guidelines should be updated are taken by a prioritisation board chaired by its Chief Medical Officer.

NICE has no current plans to update the guidance it has issued on Suspected cancer: recognition and referral, code NG12, or to introduce a standalone clinical rule for suspected bowel cancer, including for patients under 50 years old, to allow timely referral for further investigation and a second opinion at first presentation.