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 improve survival rates for gastric cancer.

Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including gastric cancers, is a priority, as reflected in the NHS Long Term Plan ambition. A Best Practice Timed Pathway for oesophago-gastric cancer has been produced and sets out how timely and effective care can be provided to patients presenting with oesophago-gastric cancer symptoms. This aims to diagnose patients within 28-days following an urgent suspected cancer referral by their general practices.

NHS England has commissioned a clinical audit into oesophago-gastric cancer. The clinical audit provides regular and timely evidence for cancer service providers to understand where patterns of care in England vary and help guide quality improvement initiatives. The National Cancer Programme is working with Cancer Alliances to implement recommendations from the audit.