Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to shorten the diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer by allowing the CA125 blood test and ultrasound to be undertaken at the same time.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is supporting NHS England in developing Best Practice Timed pathways, to support the ongoing improvement effort to shorten diagnosis pathways, reduce variation, improve patient experience of care, and meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard. This standard ensures patients are told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out, within 28 days of urgent cancer referral from general practice or screening service.
In March 2023, NHS England published guidance for local health and care systems to implement a timed gynaecological cancer diagnostic pathway, including for ovarian cancer. The gynaecological pathway ensures that at day zero, when presenting with symptoms, an ultrasound and a minimum data set is obtained, which includes a full blood count. For patients with suspected ovarian cancer, the minimum dataset should also include tumour marker CA125, with confirmation of suspicious features of ovarian cancer on ultrasound.
The guidance further ensures that patients with persistent abdominal symptoms, raised CA125, and a normal pelvic scan should be referred through the non-specific symptoms rapid diagnostic centre pathway. Women over 50 years old with elevated CA125 and palpable mass or ascites, or both, or with a previous ultrasound with risk of malignancy, should be referred straight to a computed tomography scan.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce regional variations in early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer treatment is a priority for the Government, as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as both are key contributors to reducing cancer health inequalities. The National Health Service is improving cancer pathways to get people diagnosed faster once referred, and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway, but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 113 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to tackle regional variations in early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness and early diagnosis of, as well as tackle regional variations in, ovarian cancer. Since 2020 NHS England has run several Help Us Help You campaigns, that have included a focus on abdominal symptoms which, amongst other abdominal cancers, can be indicative of ovarian cancer.
NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign on the 8 January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice, or are worried about, symptoms that could be cancer. The campaign address barriers to people coming forward with suspected signs of cancer in general, and is not specific to ovarian cancer.
Raising awareness and improving early diagnosis of cancers, including ovarian cancer, remains a priority across all regions in England. NHS England is working towards the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable cancers at stage one and two by 2028. Achieving this will mean that, from 2028, around 55,000 more people each year will survive their cancer for at least five years after diagnosis.
To help increase cancer diagnosis rates, as of February 2024, there are 154 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) open with over six million checks carried out, with the aim of having 160 CDCs open by March 2025. We also plan to transform the way the National Health Service provides elective care, by increasing activity at dedicated and protected surgical hubs. These will help separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care, including for ovarian cancer. At present, the surgical hubs are focusing on a number of specialities, including gynaecology.
The NHS is improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway, but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 108 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to increase awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness and early diagnosis of, as well as tackle regional variations in, ovarian cancer. Since 2020 NHS England has run several Help Us Help You campaigns, that have included a focus on abdominal symptoms which, amongst other abdominal cancers, can be indicative of ovarian cancer.
NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign on the 8 January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice, or are worried about, symptoms that could be cancer. The campaign address barriers to people coming forward with suspected signs of cancer in general, and is not specific to ovarian cancer.
Raising awareness and improving early diagnosis of cancers, including ovarian cancer, remains a priority across all regions in England. NHS England is working towards the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable cancers at stage one and two by 2028. Achieving this will mean that, from 2028, around 55,000 more people each year will survive their cancer for at least five years after diagnosis.
To help increase cancer diagnosis rates, as of February 2024, there are 154 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) open with over six million checks carried out, with the aim of having 160 CDCs open by March 2025. We also plan to transform the way the National Health Service provides elective care, by increasing activity at dedicated and protected surgical hubs. These will help separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care, including for ovarian cancer. At present, the surgical hubs are focusing on a number of specialities, including gynaecology.
The NHS is improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway, but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 108 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness and early diagnosis of, as well as tackle regional variations in, ovarian cancer. Since 2020 NHS England has run several Help Us Help You campaigns, that have included a focus on abdominal symptoms which, amongst other abdominal cancers, can be indicative of ovarian cancer.
NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign on the 8 January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice, or are worried about, symptoms that could be cancer. The campaign address barriers to people coming forward with suspected signs of cancer in general, and is not specific to ovarian cancer.
Raising awareness and improving early diagnosis of cancers, including ovarian cancer, remains a priority across all regions in England. NHS England is working towards the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable cancers at stage one and two by 2028. Achieving this will mean that, from 2028, around 55,000 more people each year will survive their cancer for at least five years after diagnosis.
To help increase cancer diagnosis rates, as of February 2024, there are 154 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) open with over six million checks carried out, with the aim of having 160 CDCs open by March 2025. We also plan to transform the way the National Health Service provides elective care, by increasing activity at dedicated and protected surgical hubs. These will help separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care, including for ovarian cancer. At present, the surgical hubs are focusing on a number of specialities, including gynaecology.
The NHS is improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway, but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 108 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the rollout of community diagnostic centres on the time taken to diagnose less survivable cancers.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is taking steps through NHS England to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those cancers mentioned by the Less Survivable Cancer Taskforce, namely lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach. Diagnostic checks are a key part of cancer pathways and the 150 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) opened by the Government will give earlier diagnostic tests, benefitting millions of patients including those who are referred with suspected less survivable cancers. National Health Service systems have been asked to prioritise CDC capacity towards their most challenged cancer pathways, where this is clinically appropriate, and these centres have delivered over six million additional tests for all elective activity since July 2021. The CDC programme is on track to meet its target to open up to 160 CDCs by March 2025, with many due to open ahead of schedule.
In November 2022, the NHS also announced an expansion of direct access to diagnostic scans across all general practices, to help cut waiting times and speeding up cancer diagnosis, or all-clear for patients. The NHS is now looking to widen the clinical pathways for which this is offered.
Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to helping achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of patients at an early stage by 2028 and reducing inequalities in cancer survival. NHS England has commissioned new cancer clinical audits covering six cancer types, some of which are less survivable: pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer and primary and metastatic breast cancer. All six audits will cover care delivered in England and Wales.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for treatments for (a) breast, (b) ovarian and (c) prostate cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing waiting times for treatments of all types of cancer is a priority for the Government, as is increasing early cancer diagnosis as this is a key contributor to reducing cancer health inequalities. We are expanding capacity through our community diagnostic centres (CDCs) supported by £2.3 billion of capital funding with 150 CDCs currently operational and having delivered over six million additional tests, checks and scans including vital cancer checks since January 2021.
The planned Major Conditions Strategy will look at the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and will consider a wide range of interventions and enablers to improve outcomes and experience for a range of cancer patients, including those less survivable cancers.
NHS England has commissioned six cancer clinical audits which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatments and outcomes for patients, including ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer and primary and metastatic breast cancer. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October 2022, and the first outcomes expected in September 2024.
Asked by: Mark Eastwood (Conservative - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the average time taken to diagnose ovarian cancer (a) in West Yorkshire and (b) nationally.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent data for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer in West Yorkshire shows a 23-day average from an urgent referral for suspected cancer to diagnosis. This data is based on median values, taken across a twelve-month period from November 2022 to October 2023 inclusive.
Patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer can be diagnosed via other routes, such as when presenting as an emergency case in an unplanned care setting, or as an incidental finding when referred for another elective condition or suspected abnormality, either urgently or non-urgently. Data for these alternative presentation routes in the format requested is not held.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of funding her Department provides to help tackle (a) less survivable cancers compared to (b) other cancers; and if she will make it her policy to (i) create a framework assessing the challenges around cancers with lower survival rates and (ii) increase funding for those cancers.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is taking steps through NHS England to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with less survivable cancers. Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to helping achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of patients at an early stage by 2028 and reducing inequalities in cancer survival. NHS England has commissioned new cancer clinical audits covering five cancer types, some of which are less survivable: pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer and primary and metastatic breast cancer. All five audits will cover care delivered in England and Wales and will see an investment of approximately £5.4 million for an initial period of three years.
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs then decide how that money is spent within the local integrated care system. The allocations process is independent of Government and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. NHS England produces a target allocation, or 'fair share' for each area, based on a complex assessment of factors such as demography, morbidity, deprivation, and the unavoidable cost of providing services in different areas. This means that funding decisions are fair and equitable.
Delivering more research is key to understanding and assessing the challenges around cancers with lower survival rates. As with other Government funders of health research, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) does not allocate funding for specific disease areas, including less survivable cancers. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including less survivable cancers.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to develop a specific strategy on (a) research, (b) early diagnosis and (c) treatment for less survivable cancers.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We currently do not have such plans. Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to helping achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of patients at an early stage by 2028 and reducing inequalities in cancer survival. Through NHS England, the Government is taking steps to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with less survivable cancers.
The planned Major Conditions Strategy will look at the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Strategy will look at a wide range of interventions and enablers to improve outcomes and experience for a range of cancer patients.
NHS England has commissioned new cancer clinical audits covering five cancer types, some of which are less survivable: pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer and primary and metastatic breast cancer. All five audits will cover care delivered in England and Wales and will see an investment of approximately £5.4 million for an initial period of three years.
The NHS ‘Help Us, Help You’ (HUHY) cancer campaigns increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked. Some campaigns focus on specific symptoms linked to less survivable cancers, such as the HUHY abdominal and urological symptoms campaign, while others focus on fear as a barrier to help-seeking, which is relevant to all cancer types.