Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) clinical and (b) patient awareness of minimally invasive cancer therapies as outlined in the All-party parliamentary group on Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies' recent report, Barriers to Patient Access.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group’s report refers to a number of treatments which are not directly commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement. Where the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended a treatment following a technology appraisal, commissioners have a mandate to support implementation, including providing funding pathways where necessary.

For those treatments cited in the report which have received a positive technology appraisal, such as the use of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) to treat hepatocellular carcinoma, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s specialised commissioning team is currently expanding the number of providers. This involves a Prior Information Notice and market engagement exercise, which is due to be completed in 2022/23, before a service can be delegated to integrated care boards.