§ 1. Mr. Vernon Coaker (Gedling)What discussions he has had with Trent regional health authority about a new breast cancer unit at Nottingham city hospital. [151948]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Denham)The Trent regional office and the Nottingham health authority strongly support the scheme for a new breast care unit at Nottingham city hospital. It will replace the 23-year-old prefabricated accommodation with a new purpose-built unit. The local breast team is internationally recognised as being at the forefront of clinical care and research into the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The regional office expects to receive the full business case by September this year, at the latest.
§ Mr. CoakerWill my right hon. Friend take a personal interest in the development of the breast cancer unit at Nottingham city hospital? There has been some slippage over the past couple of years, so his intervention would be very welcome. As he said, this is an internationally renowned breast cancer unit, and many people come from abroad to see it. At the moment, it is housed in prefabricated buildings. Will my right hon. Friend take a personal interest in the matter and ensure that if September is the target date for the business plan, September is also the reality for Nottingham city hospital's breast cancer unit?
§ Mr. DenhamI will certainly take a personal interest in the matter, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his keen interest in the success of the project. It is planned to 802 spend more than £5.2 million on it from different sources, and it is clearly in everyone's interest to get it under way as quickly as possible.
§ Mrs. Marion Roe (Broxbourne)As one of the chairmen of the all-party breast cancer group, I welcome any new facilities for the new breast cancer unit at Nottingham city hospital. However, will the Minister tell the House what role clinical need plays in the treatment of patients who present to their general practitioners with suspected cancer? What response would he give to the president of the Royal College of Surgeons, who claims that clinics are being snowed under with inappropriate referrals for breast cancer because of the Government's two-week target?
§ Mr. DenhamThe whole point is to ensure that patients with the highest clinical need are referred urgently to a consultant. The two-week waiting time is for urgent referrals. In support of that, we have published referral guidelines for use by general practitioners that have been drawn up with leading clinicians. The whole point is to enable general practitioners to identify women in need of an urgent referral. I believe that we have a policy that is designed and aimed to give the highest priority to those with the greatest need.