Britain Against Cancer Conference
Tuesday, 15 December 2009 10:54
Speech by Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health
1 December 2009, at the all Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer: Britain Against Cancer Conference
In England in people under 75, almost 9,000 lives were saved in 2008 compared to 1996. We should take a moment to celebrate this – and our partners in the NHS and the voluntary sector who have made it possible.
Other progress includes:
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Roll-out of the bowel cancer screening to men and women aged 60-69 is now almost complete across the country On screening, specialist services, collection and analysis of data, and research, Mike [National Cancer Director, Mike Richards] reports that NHS services are now comparable with the best in the world. And let me be absolutely clear: cancer research will not be cut to pay for personal care, contrary to reports.
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The big message coming out of today is that, at every level, we need to get to grips with the challenge of early diagnosis.
Across England early diagnosis could save 10,000 lives – 66 lives in every PCT.
At national level, I know there is more I can do.
On Mike’s advice, the Prime Minister has committed to improve access to diagnostic tests for GPs as part of the drive to earlier detection. This will be a major priority for the Department in the coming weeks as we work towards ensuring all patients undergoing tests at the request of a GP can do so within a week. It will be implemented over 5 years, from 2011-12 and it will help to save up to 10,000 lives each year. For the first 2 years, we will be focusing on the diagnostic tests associated with ovarian, lung and colorectal cancers. Those patients can expect to know within two weeks whether or not they have cancer. By the end of the 5-year period, we want to see all patients knowing the results of diagnostic tests within 1 week. This phased approach will enable the NHS to develop the extra workforce and equipment capacity that will be required to enable these tests to be carried out. I would anticipate that much of this capacity would be located in primary care. I have been heartened by the positive reaction to this from the RCGP and the BMA and I’m pleased that Mike is chairing a delivery group to ensure successful progress.
We are also now proposing, in a consultation on the new NHS Constitution, that from April next year patients have a legal right to see a cancer specialist within two weeks.