Cancer is a priority for the Government and survival rates are at a record high. Since 2010, rates of survival from cancer have increased year-on-year. Around 7,000 people are alive today who would not have been had mortality rates stayed the same as then.
Thank you for taking the time to contact me, I understand this is a hugely important issue for a number of my constituents.
Funding
Funding for cancer services has been a particular priority for this Government. Hence why over the last year, the Government has provided funding to help recover cancer service, investing £8 billion to 2025 to help deliver nine million checks, scans, and operations by 2025, and expand the number of surgical hubs across the country.
The 2015 Cancer Strategy for England, prepared by the independent Cancer Taskforce, set out a vision of what cancer patients should expect from the health service: effective prevention, prompt and effective diagnosis, informed choice and convenient care, access to the best effective treatments with minimal side-effects, always knowing what is going on and why, holistic support and the best possible quality of life, including at the end of life.
Additionally, the NHS Long Term Plan provided £32 million for radiotherapy equipment in 2021/22, ensuring that approximately 100 radiotherapy treatment machines could be replaced or upgraded. Reinforced by £6 billion of capital investment in the 2021 Spending Review, the NHS is gradually reducing the number of linear accelerators aged 10 years or over.
I also understand that some patients with cancer are concerned about the impact the disease will have on their own finances, and I would like to assure you that minimising the impact of cancer is a priority for the Government. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides families eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme with support to fund travel costs to hospital or NHS facilities for diagnostic tests or treatment, after referral. I know that my colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care work with colleagues across Government, including the Department of Work and Pensions, to ensure that patients with long term illnesses are supported in the workplace and at home.
Screening and Diagnosis
Screening and Diagnosis for cancer can be invaluable to treatment of cancer which is why this has been prioritised by Government.
The NHS’s Breast Screening Programme in England offers all women between the ages of 50 and 70 the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer. These screenings play a key part in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, which is central to the Government’s ambition of achieving world-class cancer outcomes. Whilst services have begun to recover from a dip in use during the pandemic, with an 85.5% increase in women screened in 2021-22 compared to 2020-21. I recognise there is much more progress to be made.
I understand that there are a number of steps being taken to improve breast cancer screening rates in the United Kingdom, including the use of text message alerts to remind women of upcoming appointments, and media campaigns to raise awareness of the breast screening programme. Capacity is being increased for breast screening through the delivery of 29 new breast cancer screening units, 58 remote access upgrades and nearly 70 life-saving service upgrades.
University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust co-ordinate and manage a centre in Brighton, that hosts breast screening for Brighton, Hove and East Sussex. It is fitted with the latest mammography equipment, and are the first centre in the UK to offer this level of technology and all outpatient services under one roof. They also run mobile screening units, that travel to different towns, improving accessibility to this service. For more information visit their website here.
The Government is also establishing Community Diagnostic Centres, which will be one-stop-shops for checks, scans, and tests, helping those with suspected breast cancer to access earlier diagnostic tests closer to home. As part of the 2021 Spending Review, £2.3 billion was committed to expand Community Diagnostic Centres. These centres have already delivered over 1.7 million additional checks and tests and will play an important role in helping to reduce waiting times.
Locally in Bexhill we were able to secure one and the new purpose-built Bexhill Community Diagnostic Centre opened at the beginning of this year. However, this does not have breast cancer screenings quite yet. It still hosts other screenings, as well as diagnose other problems people may be facing. Among the benefits are early diagnosis for patients via easier, faster, and more direct access to a range of diagnostic tests to understand fully a patient’s symptoms, as well as reducing in waiting times by diverting patients away from hospitals. This is a programme I am very proud of in our community, and I believe its benefits are going to be invaluable.
Research
I am proud that the UK is a world leader in cancer research, and I recognise the importance of Government investment in ensuring that we can continue to improve survival and quality of life of cancer patients.
Since 2010, over £882 million in Government funding has been spent on cancer research across the UK. Ground-breaking medical research is funded through the National Institute for Health Research, and spending on cancer research has risen from £101 million in 2010/11 to £138 million in 2019/20, the largest investment in a disease area.
Additionally, I congratulate Cancer Research UK on all campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis. I know that the NHS Long Term Plan focuses on the need for early and speedy diagnosis, to give patients the best chances of long-term survival, and I wholeheartedly support this commitment.
I hope you join me in welcoming the announcement of an additional £33.9 billion investment in the NHS by 2023/24. This will significantly support its efforts to improve cancer services.
I hope this provides reassurance that it is an issue the Government has a high priority and that lots of progress has been made around it.
Thank you again for all of those who took the time to contact me.