Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) make an assessment of the psychological impact of the covid-19 outbreak on blood cancer patients and (b) implement the collection of formal data to measure that impact.
We are committed to ensuring that all cancer patients have access to holistic needs assessments and personalised care interventions. This will ensure that care focuses on the individual whilst empowering them to self-manage where appropriate and to seek help when required. Data from Cancer Alliances in March 2021 showed that approximately 83% of all cancer multi-disciplinary teams had implemented personalised care and support planning based on holistic needs assessments during the pandemic.
The are no current plans to implement the collection of formal data to measure the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on blood cancer patients. However, the National Health Service is collecting patient level data in relation to personalised care interventions to assess progress.