HC Deb 15 January 2004 vol 416 cc856-7W
Jon Trickett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking with(a) the NHS and (b) voluntary organisations to tackle prostate cancer. [147461]

Miss Melanie Johnson

In September 2000, the Government published the national health service prostate cancer programme, which set out what was known about prostate cancer and established a framework for future action. Good progress has been made on prostate cancer since the programme was published.

Over 98 per cent. of patients with suspected urological cancers, including prostate, were seen for their first outpatient appointment within two weeks of their general practitioner referral between July and September 2003.

There has been a 38 per cent. increase in the number of consultant urologists since 1997; from 343 to 473

We have increased funding for research into prostate cancer twenty-fold since 1999–2000, which means in 2003–04, the Department is directly funding £4.2 million of research into prostate cancer.

We have provided Section 64 funding to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase public awareness of prostate cancer, and funded the Database of Individual Patient Experiences in prostate cancer.

In the summer of 2001, we launched the prostate cancer risk management programme. This programme was established to ensure that men who are considering a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer are given information concerning the benefits, limitations and risks associated with receiving a test. As part of this programme, an evidence based pack of materials has been sent to all general practitioners in England to help them counsel men in making an informed choice about the PSA test.

Much has been achieved on prostate cancer but we recognise that there is still much to be done. That is why we welcomed the launch of the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action on 29 January 2003 and set up the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group (PCAG) to ensure better collaboration and communication between the charter members and Government. PCAG is already working hard and is taking forward work on information for prostate cancer patients, public awareness, prostate cancer treatment and a national prostate cancer resource website.