Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to collaborate with (a) academic institutions, (b) industry, and (c) research charities in rolling out new diagnostic tools for pancreatic cancer across primary care pathways.

While cancer, including pancreatic cancer, is not diagnosed in primary care, there are initiatives to improve the identification of cancer symptoms in primary care. This includes ‘Jess’s Rule’, which supports clinicians to rethink their assessments when patients have presented three times with the same symptoms or concerns. Jess’s Rule was developed through a process of engagement with leading clinicians and charities.

NHS England is working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a public-facing Family History Checker, which enables people, and their families, affected by pancreatic cancer to self-assess if they have inherited risk. People identified of being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trail, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trail can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors, including primary care, or by individuals via self-referral.

Research continues to play a vital role, with National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure supporting dozens of studies annually in partnership with industry and charities. This is also a vital part of improving diagnosis and treatment for cancer. The NIHR has invested £4.4 million to directly funded pancreatic cancer research from 2018/19 to 2023/24. These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes.