Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure new treatment options for pancreatic cancer are made available on the NHS at the earliest opportunity; and if he will make a statement.

In commissioning cancer services, NHS England is supported by clinical reference groups (CRGs) which are responsible for developing strategies, pathways and service specifications for each group of cancer type, including a Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic CRG which covers pancreatic cancer. CRGs consider the latest evidence available.

We take the issue of ensuring rapid access to innovative therapies very seriously, which is why we have launched an Accelerated Access Review to make recommendations to Government later in the year on speeding up access for National Health Service patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines, diagnostics and medical technologies.