Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of treatment capacity within NHS cancer services to tackle the cancer backlog.

The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out how the National Health Service will increase elective services, including cancer treatment, over the next three years. We are allocating more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund to increase elective activity. We will also deliver nine million additional treatments and diagnostic procedures in the next three years and approximately 30% more elective activity by 2024/25, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In 2022/23, Health Education England (HEE) is investing an additional £50 million to increase the cancer and diagnostics workforce. The Department has commissioned HEE to review long-term workforce demand and supply and NHS England will develop a long-term workforce strategy, including supply projections. The forthcoming 10 Year Cancer Plan will also ensure that the appropriate workforce is in place.