Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that data is collected to assess the success rates of metastatic breast cancer treatment pathways.

The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service works closely with hospital trusts to determine sources of data which can be used to complete the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset data and also works with the software suppliers of cancer management systems to ensure that data items are able to be recorded. Compliance with data standards is monitored by local integrated care boards (ICBs).

The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership commissions, develops, and manages the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme, on behalf of NHS England, Wales and other devolved administrations. These audits have been introduced to reduce variation in treatment by demonstrating where care is being provided in line with standards and where a service is doing well or could be improved. Five additional new clinical audits were announced in May 2021, one of which will focus on metastatic breast cancer.