§ Mr. BurstowTo Ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to repeat the NHS cancer patients survey; and if he will make a statement. [169716]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe responsibility for carrying out future patient surveys now rests with the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection. The 307W Commission is looking at a number of factors before deciding when the next cancer patient survey will take place.
The recently published secondary analysis of the cancer patient survey to identify variations within and between trusts on various cancer types will be used to inform plans for any future surveys. Copies of the report are available in the Library, and on the Department's website.
In addition to this work, the National Audit Office (NAO) will be publishing a report later in 2004 on improving the patient experience of cancer services in England. As part of this study the NAO have carried out a cancer patient survey. This report forms part of a suite of three NAO studies on the delivery of cancer services. The first of these studies 'Tackling Cancer in England—Saving More Lives' was published on 19 March 2004.