Cancer (Hansard, 8 July 1994)

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to ensure that nationally agreed protocols on cancer treatment are being followed by all doctors.

§ Mr. Stewart
It is expected that national audit projects currently being undertaken on cancer treatment will result in the production of additional clinical guidelines. These will be disseminated to clinicians to be translated into local protocols. Compliance with guidelines is promoted in postgraduate education and is monitored through clinical audit, through the purchaser/provider contracting process and through national outcome studies.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many specialist cancer units exist in Scotland; and what plans there are to increase the number.

§ Mr. Stewart
There are five specialist cancer centres in Scotland at present and there are no plans to increase this number.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cancer specialists of all kinds there are in Scotland.

§ Mr. Stewart
At 30 September 1993 there were 11 consultants in medical oncology and 31 in radiotherapy working in the national health service in Scotland. The diagnosis of cancer and the treatment of cancer patients are also provided by consultants in palliative medicine and in many other medical and surgical specialties.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants in medical oncology there are in Scotland; and how many are paid for by the national health service.

§ Mr. Stewart
[holding answer 1 July 1994]: There were 11 consultants in medical oncology in Scotland at 30 September 1993, the latest date for which information 354W is available centrally, of whom seven are in clinical academic posts. Four of the 11 have their salaries paid by the national health service.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the cancer survival rate figures collected by the Scottish cancer intelligence unit.

§ Mr. Stewart
In April 1993 the Scottish Office published a volume on cancer survival rates in Scotland. This publicatioin examined trends in cancer survival over time in Scotland for a range of cancer sites. The Scottish cancer intelligence unit is currently undertaking a further study into cancer survival in Scotland. Once this study is complete the results will be publicly available.
In addition, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer has set up a working group to examine regional variations in cancer survival within Europe. Scotland has a strong representation on this group and a preliminary report is expected by the summer of 1995.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cancer operations were carried out in Scotland last year by(a) the 10 per cent. of surgeons who performed the highest number of such operations and (b) the 10 per cent. of surgeons who carried out the lowest number.

§ Mr. Stewart
In Scotland in 1993, 24,084 principal operations were carried out by the 10 per cent. of consultants performing the highest number of principal operations on patients with a preliminary diagnosis of malignant neoplasm. This accounts for 20 per cent. of the total surgical workload of these particular consultants.
In the same year 107 principal operations were carried out by the 10 per cent. of consultants performing the lowest number of principal operations on patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant neoplasm.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many surgeons in Scotland carried out cancer operations last year.
355W

§ Mr. Stewart
In 1993, 1,068 consultants performed principal operations on patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant neoplasm in NHS hospitals in Scotland.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cancer operations were carried out in Scotland last year.

§ Mr. Stewart
In 1993 there were 45,661 principal operations performed in NHS hospitals in Scotland for patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant neoplasm.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of cancer patients last year was referred initially to a consultant oncologist.

§ Mr. Stewart
The information requested is not available centrally.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the availability of chemotherapy for cancer patients.

§ Mr. Stewart
The clinical resource and audit group and the Scottish health management efficiency group set up a joint working group to examine the management of non-surgical cancer services in Scotland. The working group reported in April 1992 and its recommendations were commended to health boards. I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.
The Scottish Cancer Co-ordinating and Advisory Committee which was established as a result of the working group's report is setting up focus groups on the commonest cancers with the intention of providing advice on good practice including chemotherapy.
In addition the report "Quality Control in Cancer Chemotherapy" produced jointly by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Radiologists was circulated to all clinical oncologists, all medical oncologists and to the chief executives of NHS trusts.