Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce a secondary support package covering breast cancer care to include (a) access to a dedicated clinical nurse specialist, (b) an assessment of physical and emotional needs at (i) diagnosis and (ii) through treatment and referral and (c) signposting to tailored, specialist support services.

The NHS Cancer Programme is working to improve access to cancer nurse specialists (CNSs) for all cancer patients when they need it, including those with secondary breast cancer.

We are committed to rolling out the recovery package to every cancer patient by 2020. The recovery package is a set of four interventions designed to help patients and clinicians assess a patient’s holistic needs, including physical and emotional needs, at appropriate time points through their cancer journey, as needs do change especially when a person is diagnosed with secondary cancer. A personalised care and support plan to meets these needs should be agreed, ensuring signposting and referral to the right support and care services is made, and also helping to empower patients to independently manage their own health, with advice and support.

NHS England is committed to giving more patients access to a CNS or other specialist from diagnosis onwards to guide them through treatment options and ensure they receive appropriate information and support. In their first Cancer Workforce Plan, which was published in December 2017, Health Education England committed to supporting the expansion of CNSs by developing national competencies and a clear route into training. This will ensure that every patient has access to a CNS or other support worker by 2021.