§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the selection of York is an intermediate frequency cancer centre; and if he will make a statement. [154705]
§ Yvette CooperI understand the Department has received representations at a local level which are currently being considered and will be responded to accordingly.
The National Health Service guidance for upper gastrointestinal cancer was published in January 2001. It recommends, in line with previous guidance for breast, colorectal, lung and gynaecological cancer, that care should be delivered by specialist multidisciplinary teams. Recommendations about the appropriate catchment population for services for individual cancers are in line with their incidence
The Yorkshire cancer network is currently reviewing the implications of the implementation of the national guidance across the county. York is a cancer unit which provides diagnostic and treatment services for the more common cancers to the local population.
The network wishes to ensure that the high level of surgical expertise available in cancer units such as York are harnessed within the specialist multidisciplinary teams. While it is probable that all surgery for the rarer sites such as cancer of the pancreas will be undertaken in the cancer centre in Leeds, the recommendations for the configuration of services for upper gastrointestinal cancer have still to be agreed by the network.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which intermediate frequency cancer centre will be intended for use by patients living in north Yorkshire. [154706]
§ Yvette CooperAccess to cancer centre services is based upon the area of residence for individual patients. Residents of Hambleton and Richmondshire are served by the Middlesbrough cancer centre. Residents in the eastern coast area of north Yorkshire are served by the Hull cancer centre and residents for the remainder of north Yorkshire are served by the Leeds cancer centre.