Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor the availability of cancer services during the reorganisation of NHS England into his Department.

Whilst this transformation takes place, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, and we will work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.

We continue to work to reduce the time that people are waiting for a diagnosis of cancer and to start treatment, including through the Government’s investment of £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it. We will also support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

To achieve this, in line with 2025/26 Planning Guidance, we have asked systems to continue to improve performance against the 28-day faster diagnosis standard to 80%, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard to 75% by March 2026.