§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the national standards for access to cancer care services; and if he will make a statement. [127656]
§ Yvette CooperWe are determined to improve access to cancer care services and have set the standard that, by the end of the year 2000, patients referred urgently by their general practitioners will be seen by a specialist within 14 days. This standard has been in place for breast cancer since April 1999 and in the first year, 86,000 patients have benefited. We are rolling out this high standard of care for all other cancers so that by December 2000 all suspected cancer referred urgently for investigation will be seen by a specialist within two weeks.