§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a prostate cancer screening programme; and if he will make a statement. [23381]
§ Yvette CooperWe are committed to introducing a screening programme for prostate cancer if and when screening and treatment techniques are sufficiently well developed. Trials for prostate cancer screening have shown that there are a number of complex issues involved. There is no conclusive evidence from any country that screening for prostate cancer would reduce the death rate from prostate cancer.
The national health Service prostate cancer programme was launched on 6 September 2000, covering research, treatment and a risk management programme specifically around improving early detection and diagnosis.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give a breakdown of how the money for the NHS(a)breast cancer screening programme and (b) cervical cancer screening programme is allocated; [23380]
(2) how much money has been(a) allocated and (b) spent in the national health service on (i) breast cancer screening programmes and (ii) cervical cancer screening programmes in (A) each of the financial years since 1990 and (B) future years for which budgets have been set, broken down by regional health authority. [23379]
§ Yvette CooperThe information is not available in the format requested. Funding for the national health service breast and cervical screening programmes is allocated directly to health authorities as part of their main allocations each year. It is estimated that the breast screening programme in England costs £52 million per year1 and the cervical screening programme in England costs £132 million per year2.
As set out in the NHS Cancer Plan, the breast screening programme in England will be expanded by 2004 to include routine invitations for women aged 65 to 70. £1.5 million revenue and £2 million capital has been 454W allocated in 2001–02 to begin the national roll-out of the expansion. Allocations for 2002–03 will be announced in due course.
1 Department of Health Economics and Operational Research Division 20012National Audit Office, The Performance of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England (22 April 1998)