§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will reduce the waiting time from four to two weeks for bowel cancer screening for symptomatic patients, as recommended in the pilot report of the first bowel cancer screening programme. [173835]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe final report of the evaluation of first phase of the United Kingdom colorectal cancer screening pilot, published in May 2003, stated that, ideally, waiting times for symptomatic patients should be reduced to two to four weeks before commencement of screening. This, along with other recommendations of the report, is being taken into account as we develop a national screening programme for bowel cancer and improve symptomatic services as part of the national health service bowel cancer programme.