HC Deb 19 June 2003 vol 407 cc427-8W
Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer treatment centres there are(a) in the UK and (b) in each GO region; how many people were treated at each centre in 2002; and what percentage of these were teenagers being treated in (a) specialist teenage cancer units and (b) general cancer centres. [118156]

Miss Melanie Johnson

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. Figures are available for the number of admissions by age group. In 2001–02, out of a total of 1,256,495 admissions for patients with cancer, 21,114 admissions were for patients between the ages of 13 to 19 years.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money is being allocated to cancer services in 2003–04 in North Yorkshire; and how much was allocated in 1997–98. [118501]

Dr. Ladyman

Resources for funding cancer services are included in general primary care trust allocations for 2003–04 and in the general allocations to health authorities for 1997–98. The Department does not have a figure for spending on cancer services in North Yorkshire in either year. We are confident that in 2003–04 national spending on cancer services will be over £570 million more than in 2000–01.

Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was allocated to cancer services in Cornwall in each of the last 10 years. [119531]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Resources for funding cancer services are included in general primary care trust allocations for 2003–04 and in the general allocations to health authorities in the previous years. The Department of Health does not have a figure for total spend on cancer services in Cornwall. The South West Strategic Health Authority has advised that there has been significant investment in improving cancer services in Cornwall.

This includes: Royal Cornwall Hospitals National Health Service Trust has invested over £7.2 million in improvements to its cancer services in the last two years; a new Clinical Oncology Department was opened at Treslike Hospital, Truro in April 2002, and received New Opportunities funding of £1 million for a new linear accelerator. The Department also has an additional chemotherapy suite; and in 2001–02, the cancer workforce at Treslike hospital increased by an additional four cancer nurse specialists; a lymphoedaema specialist; a speech and language therapist; and a cancer dietician. In 2002–03, a further five chemotherapy nurses and a senior cancer and palliative care pharmacist were recruited.