Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the decision on the future of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey in relation to the National Data Guardian opt-out beyond 2018.

We are giving careful consideration to the application of the national data opt-out to the national cancer patient experience survey as stated in the Government’s response to the National Data Guardian Review July 2017 and other national patient experience surveys. This includes looking at the potential advantages and disadvantages of the national data opt-out not applying to these surveys beyond 2018/19.

In spring 2018 we confirmed that for 2018/2019 the national data opt-out would not be applied to the national cancer patient experience survey and other patient experience surveys. A decision regarding application of the national data opt-out to these surveys beyond 2018/19 will be communicated in due course.