Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of regional differences in access to treatment for cholangiocarcinoma patients.

The Department is committed to reducing waiting times for cancer treatment and improving access to treatment across England, including for cholangiocarcinoma patients. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment.

We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. Furthermore, it will ensure all patients, including cholangiocarcinoma patients, have access to the latest treatments and technology. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.