§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's target is for the maximum length of time cancer patients will have to wait(a) to see a consultant after a GP has referred them and (b) to be treated once a consultant has seen the patient.[104447]
§ Mr. DenhamFrom April 1999, patients with suspected breast cancer have been able to see a specialist within two weeks of their general practitioner referring them urgently for investigation. We will roll out this approach to other cancer sites so that by the end of 2000 we will make this high quality standard of care available for all suspected cancer requiring an urgent specialist appointment. We will also tackle patient uncertainty about the timing of their treatment through the cancer services collaborative, part of the booked admissions programme, which will improve patient access to diagnosis, treatment and care. The cancer services collaborative currently covers a population of 14 million. Lessons learned from the collaborative will be shared with the wider National Health Service from 2001.