HC Deb 17 July 2002 vol 389 cc415-6W
Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish a national set of standards for primary care for cancer. [614221

Ms Blears

Hospital cancer services have been assessed against national standards and we are working to develop primary care services for cancer patients. Cancer clinical leads have recently been appointed in every primary care trust.

Cancer standards will be included in the quality framework of the new general medical services contract. This is being negotiated by the National Health Service Confederation and the British Medical Association and will be made public in due course.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the work published in the International Journal of Cancer, volume 99, by University of Newcastle researchers in respect of cancer risks from the BNFL plant at Sellafield. [68258]

Ms Blears

This study has been referred to the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE). COMARE will advise on this study and several other much larger studies concerned with the incidence of cancer in the children of radiation workers, in the committee's seventh report, which is expected to be published shortly.

Mrs. Calton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS Cancer Plan and the implementation of the NICE guidance do not suffer while the structural changes to the NHS become established. [64387]

Ms Blears

[holding answer 27 June 2002]We recognise the need to maintain and improve delivery of services for patients while structural changes in the national health service are made. Strategic health authorities, primary care organisations and trusts are responsible for implementation of the Cancer Plan. They need to work through existing cancer networks to do this.

Primary care trusts have a legal requirement to ensure that funding for the appropriate implementation of National Institute for Clinical Excellence technology appraisals will be available within three months.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the reasons underlying the lower survival rate for(a) cancer and (b) colon cancer in the United Kingdom than in (i) Germany and (ii) the United States. [67800]

Ms Blears

[holding answer 10 July 2002]While other developed countries have broadly similar incidence of cancer, there is evidence to suggest that for many cancers, including colon cancer, survival rates for patients diagnosed a decade ago are lower in this country than in comparable European countries and the United States. Experts in the field suggest that the reason for the lower survival rates is due at least in part to patients in the United Kingdom having more advanced disease at the time of treatment.

That is why, in September 2000, we published the "NHS Cancer Plan" which sets out a programme of action to improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment and research which are intended to bring our survival rates in line with the rest of Europe.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken since 1997 to raise awareness of(a) testicular cancer and (b) other cancers in men. [663581

Ms Blears

[holding answer 3 July 2002]The Department contributed to the recent production of Cancer Research UK's leaflet, "Testicular Cancer—Spot the Symptoms". Copies are available in the Library and also on both Cancer Research UK's and the Department's websites. We have also been working with Cancer Research UK on the development of information to support the prostate cancer risk management programme.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer specialist units there were(a) in 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [66360]

Ms Blears

[holding answer 3 July 2002]Cancer services in England are organised in 34 cancer networks. Cancer networks bring together primary, secondary, tertiary and voluntary service providers to plan and deliver specialist services across the patient pathway. Information on the number of participating institutions is not collected centrally.