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Cancer
26. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for introducing a national cancer action team for the NHS. [88264]
Mr. Hutton:
The establishment of a national Cancer Action Team was announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 20 May 1999, Official Report, columns 401-02, as part of a plan of action to tackle cancer and save lives. The Team will work with the National Health Service and other key organisations to raise the standard
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of cancer care in all our hospitals to that which is already being achieved in our best. The Director of the Cancer Action Team will take up post in July.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the psychological problems suffered by cancer patients; and if he will make a statement. [89097]
Mr. Hutton:
Psychological problems suffered by cancer patients have been extensively researched. The need for psychological support for cancer patients was acknowledged in the "Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services" published by the Department in 1995 (the Calman-Hine report). The Joint Collegiate Council for Oncology in May 1996 issued guidance to doctors on psychological support services for cancer patients and their families. The importance of psychological support has also been encompassed in the series "Improving Outcomes in Cancer" published by the National Health Service Executive since 1996.
Dr. Tony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has assessed on the usefulness of gemcitabine in treating patients with cancer of the pancreas; and how many health authorities are funding this treatment. [89082]
Mr. Hutton:
Gemcitabine is licensed by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) for palliative treatment of advanced non-small cell lung and pancreas cancers. The MCA licenses drugs on the basis of quality, safety and efficacy. We do not have central information on which health authorities authorise hospitals to prescribe gemcitabine.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will commission a study into the impact on long-term survival rates for cancer patients of using the latest chemotherapy drugs; and if he will make a statement; [84237]
Mr. Hutton:
The Department and the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, are already funding studies which evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for individual cancers. Details of projects supported by the Department can be found on the National Research Register available in the Library or on www.doh.gov.uk/nrr.htm.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will also appraise the effectiveness of specific cancer drugs for use in the National Health Service.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the findings of the report, "The Case for an Increase in Oncology Drug Expenditure in the UK", by the Campaign for Effective and Rational Treatment, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement; [84246]
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Mr. Hutton:
We are committed to equitable access to high quality care and have made the treatment of cancer one of our first priorities. Treatment decision, including the use of chemotherapy, should be evidence based and agreed jointly between doctor and patient. We will consider carefully the information contained in the Campaign for Effective and Rational Treatment report as we take forward work to reduce variations in cancer care across the country.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those cancer treatment drugs most effective in treating each type of cancer in the past year. [84417]
Mr. Hutton:
The British National Formulary lists all cancer drugs used for cancer treatment and side effects. It is for clinicians to decide the most appropriate and most effective treatment for individual patients.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Cancer Beacon will be assessed in terms of raising standards in cancer care; and if he will make a statement. [89071]
Mr. Hutton:
The eight Cancer Beacons announced on 23 June are part of a wider programme to raise the quality of care provided by the National Health Service. Over the first two years, Cancer Beacons will focus on improving cancer care by demonstrating examples of a quality service. Each Cancer Beacon will receive £50,000 over two years to enable them to share good practice through networks and events organised through the NHS, such as exchange visits, open days and a new national 'service delivery practice' database on the NHS web to which all NHS organisations will have access. Cancer Beacons will agree with NHS Executive Regions on the education arrangements and dissemination of messages about their service and will produce an annual report on progress.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities which authorise GPs to prescribe (a) Irinorelbine for the treatment of lung cancer, (b) Irinotecan for the treatment of colorectal cancer and (c) Paclitaxel for the treatment of ovarian cancer. [89096]
Mr. Hutton:
All cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of cancer are prescribed by hospital specialists and not by general practitioners in the community. We do not have central information on which health authorities authorise hospitals to prescribe these drugs. Irinorelbine has not yet been licensed by the Medicines Control Agency so we would expect it to be used only in the context of clinical research.
27. Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage nurses to return to the NHS. [88265]
Mr. Denham:
The Government are supporting a number of initiatives to encourage nurses to return to practice in the National Health Service.
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On 1 February, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a £5 million nursing recruitment campaign outlining improved pay and conditions for nurses and targeting, in particular, trained nurses who are no longer working in the NHS. The campaign attracted a very encouraging response with over 53,000 inquiries, 5,000 of which were from potential returners. Since the campaign began, over 1,000 nurses have returned to employment in the NHS, in England.
28. Mrs. Gilroy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about his plans to increase the number of medical doctors in training. [88266]
Mr. Denham:
In July 1998 the Government accepted the proposal to increase medical student intake in the United Kingdom by about 1,000 places per year. 842 additional places have already been announced for medical students in England, with more to be allocated in due course. Numbers of postgraduate medical trainees are also increasing.
29. Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to explain their policies to the medical profession. [88267]
Mr. Denham:
We are committed to effective communications with all stakeholders of the National Health Service. Members of the ministerial team and officials meet representatives of all health professions frequently. Specific examples of policy communications this year include: Primary Care Groups which involved the medical profession attending meetings, seminars and a major national conference on 13 April--"Primary Care: Turning the Vision into Reality"; "Primary Care Trusts: Establishing Better Services" provides answers to some of the initial questions about the establishment of Primary Care Trusts; "Clinical Governance: Quality in the New NHS" contains proposals for making quality of care the driving force for the development of health services in England; and "Working Together", a framework to secure a quality workforce.
30. Mr. David Davis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are being made independently to audit the relevance and accuracy of NHS waiting list figures. [88268]
Mr. Denham:
The management processes which support data management and their data outputs, including National Health Service waiting list data, are independently audited within Data Accreditation, which was launched in August 1997. Data Accreditation is currently voluntary but it is intended that elements of it should become mandatory from April 2000.
Departmental statisticians working to their professional code of practice also carry out regular reviews of the needs for the statistics collected, which include the relevance of the data, and carry out validation checks on waiting list data before they are published.
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(2) if he will commission a study into the relative cost effectiveness of using (a) drugs, (b) surgery, (c) chemotherapy, (d) radiography and (e) other methods in the treatment of cancers; and if he will make a statement. [84242]
(2) what guidance he has given to health authorities on oncology drug spending following the publication of the report by CERT on oncology drug expenditure in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [86624]
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