§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review pancreatic cancer services in the northwest of England; and if he will make a statement. [5454]
§ Yvette CooperI apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
Following publication of the national guidance on the organisation of services for upper gastro-intestinal cancers in 2001, including pancreatic cancers, the three cancer networks in the north-west have been reviewing these 985W services and are engaged in developing appropriate service plans as part of their overall Service Delivery Plans.
§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the record and policy of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool on the treatment of pancreatic cancer. [5457]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 20 July 2001]I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust provides a specialist referral service for pancreatic surgery to hospitals in Merseyside and Cheshire and beyond. The service plays a major role in research and audits its clinical activities regularly through the trust's clinical governance arrangements. Over the last twelve months, since introducing a four-bedded post operative critical care facility, the trust has not had to cancel any pancreatic surgery and waiting times for surgery have improved. The service will be externally appraised as part of the next round of the regional cancer services appraisal programme which is due to commence in June 2002.