§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the availability of Macmillan Nursing Services in cancer treatment units. [47215]
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Table 1—Maternities in England by multiplicity 1990–97 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Twins 7,533 7,739 7,888 7,896 8,014 8,320 8,166 8,408 Triplets 190 201 193 225 249 266 246 279 Quadruplets 9 10 8 11 8 6 7 4
§ Mr. BoatengThe Government recognise the valuable contribution to cancer services made by voluntary and charitable organisations, including Macmillan Cancer Relief. It is for this reason that Macmillan Cancer Relief and Marie Curie are represented on the National Cancer Forum. Decisions about the provision of services in local hospitals, including the provision of Macmillan nursing services for cancer patients, are for local agreement between the organisations involved. The policy framework for commissioning cancer services and guidance on improving outcomes in breast and colorectal cancer, which are currently being implemented, encourage the development of multi-professional teams, with specialist nurses as core members.