§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained cancer specialists are practising in England; how many cancer specialist students began training in each year since 1997; how many cancer specialists qualified in each year since 1997; and what his assessment is of the optimum number of cancer specialists required by the national health service. [138918]
§ Mr. HuttonAs at 30 June 2003, there were 4,096 consultants in the cancer specialties (trained cancer specialists) working in the national health service in England.
As undergraduates, medical students do not undertake training in specific specialties, their medical training is of a general nature at this stage of their course. Specialty specific training begins in hospital at postgraduate level. Information on the number of doctors beginning and completing speciality training each year is not collected centrally.
The number of postgraduate doctors in training and consultants in the cancer specialties for each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
1359WThe Cancer Plan gives a commitment to increase the number of cancer consultants working in the NHS by 1,000 by 2006.
Since 1999 the number of cancer consultants has increased by 734, or 22 per cent. This means that the NHS is on track to hit the Cancer Plan target. The National Cancer Director works closely with cancer networks, professional organisations and workforce development confederations to ensure that national decisions about workforce planning reflect the needs of the service.
§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ring-fence spending for cancer services. [138338]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 13 November 2003]: We do not believe ring-fencing money for a specific programme is the way forward. Our overall approach is to set a national strategic direction, underpinned by targets and to devolve greater freedom to front line staff and organisations to give them the freedom to innovate and improve care for patients based on local needs and circumstances.
On 22 May 2003 the National Clinical Director for Cancer published a report that showed that the new money for cancer services announced as part of the NHS Cancer Plan is reaching those services.
On 28 October 2003, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, announced that this tracking exercise would be repeated for cancer funding allocated in 2003–04.
§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of cancer patients received their first definitive treatment within 62 days of referral in each month of the last three years, broken down by cancer type. [138632]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe NHS Cancer Plan sets out our strategy to reduce waiting times for cancer patients. A maximum two-month wait from urgent referral to treatment was introduced for breast cancer in December 2002. Data on performance of this target are collected quarterly and were first published for quarter one, 2003–04 (Apr—Jun 2003), where 97 per cent. of women received their treatment within a month of urgent referral. This target will be in place for all other urgent cases of cancer by 2005. Targets of one month from urgent referral to first treatment were introduced in 2001 for testicular cancer, acute leukaemia and children's cancers. Data on NHS Cancer Plan waiting times targets are published on the Department's website at: www.doh.aov.uk/cancerwaits.
1360W
Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS) Staff Consultants and Doctors in training in cardiology England, as at 30 September Numbers (headcount) March 1997 June 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Consultants 405 458 467 546 576 609 607 618 Doctors in training 540 607 589 612 609 700 n/a n/a of whom Senior House Officer 192 218 210 223 210 225 n/a n/a
§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated by his Department to cancer prevention in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in each year. [136731]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Department funds an extensive health improvement and prevention programme aimed chiefly at preventing cancer and coronary heart disease, which are the two main causes of mortality. Funding for programmes on tobacco control and smoking cessation, improving nutrition and diet and increasing physical activity all contribute not only to cancer prevention, but also to preventing coronary heart disease. It is not possible to identify the amount of funding in these programmes that contributes solely to cancer prevention.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to establish dedicated Positron Emission Tomography camera facilities to diagnose lung cancer and evaluate the success of treatment in sites across all strategic health authorities. [140112]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonWe are aware of the potential benefits Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning can offer patients with lung cancer. The Department is working with national health service specialised commissioners, the PET clinical community and research stakeholders to create a framework to enable the NHS to develop a clear national policy position. This will set out, from the evidence, which tumour groups would benefit from PET scanning, likely future demand, and the optimal configuration and location of PET scanners.