Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of high-energy proton beam cancer therapy in the UK for NHS patients.

During the development of the business case for the Department for the NHS Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) centres, an assessment of the internationally accepted standard clinical indications that are likely to benefit from PBT was made, and the associated patient numbers, together with an assessment of the numbers and types of patients for whom further clinical trials and evaluative studies are justified. This will allow all appropriate paediatric and teenage and young adult patients with a paediatric spectrum of tumours to be accommodated. It is essential that a robust evidence base is established for specific situations in commoner adult cancers where there is currently little, if no evidence of superior outcomes, hence the research capacity built in to the programme. NHS England is commissioning two PBT Centres in England based on this assessment and after reaching full capacity they should be able to treat up to 1,500 patients per annum.