Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve timely access to haematology specialists for patients with (a) suspected and (b) diagnosed leukaemia.

The National Cancer Plan for England, released on 4 February 2026, sets out a commitment to diagnose cancers earlier and ensure people receive timely, effective treatment.

The Government is committed to helping the NHS England detect cancers, including blood cancers, earlier and provide faster treatment to improve outcomes.

NHS England uses non‑specific symptom pathways for people presenting with symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue or general illness that do not point to a particular cancer type. These pathways are especially important for detecting blood cancers, which often present with vague or non‑specific symptoms.

In addition to ongoing investment in diagnostic capacity, including new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanners, we will support NHS England to diagnose all cancers, including blood cancers, earlier and ensure patients can begin treatment as quickly as possible.

The Department will work to end the postcode lottery to ensure that access to the best cancer diagnosis, treatment and care is available for everyone, including leukaemia patients.

The Department is working with partners such as the Royal College of Pathologists, Cancer Alliances, and genomics programme leads to strengthen diagnostic workforce capacity across cancer services, including pathology and cancer genomics. This includes investment in new training pathways, digital pathology, and genomics education, all of which support timely and accurate diagnosis for people with blood cancers, including leukemia.

NHS England is investing in expanding specialty training posts in high-demand disciplines, including haematology, and is supporting local systems to retain and develop multidisciplinary teams. This includes increasing medical training posts in haematology and enhancing the scientific workforce supply through initiatives such as the Scientist Training Programme and Higher Specialist Scientist Training.

As of February 2026, there are 2,318 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of Haematology in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England. This is 130, or 6%, more than a year ago. This also includes 1,082 FTE consultants, which is 51, or 4.9%, more than a year ago.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this spring to put the NHS workforce on a sustainable footing so staff can deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.