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 ensure that cancer patients in Oxfordshire have timely access to radiotherapy services.

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have access to timely diagnosis and treatments, including those in Oxfordshire.

We have invested £70 million of central funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These new machines are currently being rolled out to trusts throughout the country. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.

The National Cancer Plan, which we will publish in the new year, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will ensure patients, including those in Oxfordshire, have timely access to the latest treatments and technology.