Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 30 May 2023 to Questions 186514 on Radiotherapy: Medical Treatments and 186513 on Radiotherapy: Reform, what the timeline is for completion of the Brachytherapy and Molecular Radiotherapy Service Specification review; and whether he plans to implement the review's findings.

The review of the Brachytherapy and Molecular Radiotherapy Service Specification is being carried out in accordance with the NHS England Methods process for Service Specifications and is expected to be completed in 2023/24.

NHS England is undertaking an assessment of readiness to implement any new molecular radiotherapy treatments, should they be approved by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Where treatments are approved by NICE through the Technology Appraisals programme, the National Health Service is required to make them available within agreed timescales, which vary by technology. Implementation of any NICE approvals will be supported by the service readiness assessment and the development of additional capacity where necessary.

Where a treatment is approved through NHS England’s clinical commissioning policy process, a commissioning plan is developed which sets out the implementation arrangements, including the development of new or expanded service provision where necessary and the implementation timescales.