Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the importance of psychological support services for patients suffering from cancer of the unknown primary.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance manual: Improving Supportive and Palliative Care for Adults with Cancer (www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/csgspmanual.pdf) provides a framework for the provision of psychological support in people with cancer – including cancer of unknown primary.

The NICE clinical guideline for Depression with a chronic physical health problem (CG91) is also a useful resource.

All patients should have systematic psychological assessment and have access to an appropriate psychological intervention from professionals competent to provide them.