Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with rare types of blood cancer have access to effective treatments.

The new cancer strategy for England being developed by the independent Cancer Taskforce will address the whole cancer pathway. Clara Mackay, chief executive of Cancer 52, which represents charities for people affected by rare and less common cancers, is a member of the Cancer Taskforce, and wide stakeholder engagement is taking place to develop the strategy.

Ensuring that the National Health Service is able to support the availability and use of effective medicines for rare cancers, including blood cancer, is a key priority.

NHS England has well established structures and processes which ensure that the best possible treatments are commissioned across England for cancer, including both blood and rare cancers. NHS England obtains clinical advice about current and new treatments and clinical guidelines predominantly through clinical reference groups which consist of clinical representatives from Senates and Patient and Public Voice representatives.

NHS England has recently consulted on the principles and process by which it makes investment decisions in specialised services, which address the issue of rarity. The outcome of future investment decisions taken by NHS England will be published in accordance with the new process once it has been finalised. Information on the consultation can be found here:

www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/investing-in-specialised-commissioning