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28 Apr 2003 : Column 83W—continued
Breast Cancer
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current waiting time is for non-urgent referrals for suspected breast cancer. [108296]
Ms Blears: Data on the waiting time for non-urgent referrals for suspected breast cancer are not collected centrally. Referral guidelines have been issued to general practitioners to help them refer suspected cancers, including breast cancer, appropriately within the two-week outpatient cancer waiting time standard. A maximum waiting time of one month from diagnosis to first treatment was introduced for all cases of breast cancer from December 2001. In the last quarter (October to December 2002) 96.5 per cent. of women received treatment within one month of diagnosis with breast cancer.
Bush Meat
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Food Standards Agency has taken since February in response to the use of dangerous chemicals to kill bushmeat in West Africa prior to its illegal importation into the United Kingdom. [106627]
Ms Blears: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is aware of the allegations that this practice takes place, however they have no evidence to suggest that such meat has been brought into the country. However, the FSA advice is that illegally imported meat such as bushmeat which may be contaminated with dangerous chemicals, will have avoided official controls at its country of origin and on entry to the European Union designed to verify compliance with food safety standards and should not be consumed. In response to concerns about illegal imports of bushmeat and other foods, the FSA has, since February, been drawing up a work programme to take forward a step change in the delivery and co-ordination of local authority enforcement of imported food controls at seaports, airports and at 'inland' UK local authorities.
The FSA is also working closely with other Government Departments and welcomes action being taken by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which has responsibility for measures against illegal imports of all meat and other animal products, to tackle illegal imports. Defra has published, on 25 March 2003, a draft update of the Government action plan for 2003–04.
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise will take responsibility for anti-smuggling measures including illegal imports of bushmeat, at seaports and airports from 11 April 2003 in England.
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Cancer Services
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) the maximum one-month waiting time from diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer and (b) the maximum two-month waiting time for treatment following an urgent referral as set out in the Cancer Plan have been achieved. [108295]
Ms Blears: Very good performance continues to be achieved with 96.5 per cent. of women receiving their first treatment within one month of diagnosis with breast cancer in the last quarter (October to December 2002). The target of two months from urgent referral to first treatment was introduced from December 2002 and data on performance of this target will be published later in the year.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of how many extra (a) diagnostic radiographers and (b) radiologists are needed to deal with current and future workloads. [108298]
Ms Blears: The NHS Cancer Plan sets targets to increase the cancer workforce by 2006. For radiologists, the forecast is for the number to rise by 260, an increase of 17 per cent. For diagnostic radiographers, the forecast is for the number to rise by 314, an increase of 4 per cent. The National Cancer Director works closely with cancer networks, professional organisations and workforce development confederations to ensure that national decisions about workforce planning reflect the needs of the service.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many breast cancer patients have benefited from drugs appraised by NICE since its establishment; [108301]
- (2) what reports he has received on the implementation of guidance for breast cancer drugs appraised by NICE. [108302]
Ms Blears: Last December, Roche, the manufacturers of trastuzumab (Herceptin) wrote to the Department presenting figures on the availability of this drug post the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal. The Department has asked Roche to provide the information broken down by cancer network. Once these data have been received, we will consider the best course of action to take.
If fully implemented, NICE estimates that the guidance they have issued on the use of paclitaxel, docetaxel, trastuzumab and vinorelbine for breast cancer could impact on around 10,000 women in England and Wales.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the results of the tracking exercise for earmarked cancer funds will be used to determine funding priorities in cancer services in the future; [108307]
- (2) how many strategic health authorities have responded to the request for information under the exceptional tracking exercise for cancer funds; [108306]
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(3) whether the exceptional tracking exercise for earmarked cancer funds will be carried out on an annual basis; [108305]
(4) whether the information collated from each strategic health authority under the exceptional tracking exercise will be published on (a) an authority-by-authority basis and (b) a regional basis; [108304]
(5) whether the results of the exceptional tracking exercise into cancer funding will be published in full; and how and where the results of the exercise will be published; [108309]
(6) whether the results of the tracking exercise into cancer funding will show how much extra money has been spent on (a) cancer drugs, (b) new staff for cancer services and (c) new cancer services since the publication of the Cancer Plan in 2000; [108308]
(7) when the exceptional tracking exercise for earmarked cancer funds will be published. [108303]
Ms Blears: We asked strategic health authorities (SHAs), as part of an exceptional exercise, to identify total additional investment in cancer services in 2001–02 and 2002–03 with a sub-total for cancer drugs, and supporting information on new service developments.
We intend to publish headline national and cancer network level figures on cancer investment on the Department's website in late spring. All 28 SHAs have responded to the exercise. At a local level this exercise will inform cancer networks' discussions with their stakeholders on plans for future investment, to further improve patient care.
It is our policy, within the framework set out in the NHS Plan and the "Shifting the balance of power" initiative, to devolve funding decisions to the front line. It is now for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national priorities, as laid out in the planning and priorities framework and to meet local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services, based on the specialised knowledge they have of the local community.
We are devolving power from the centre to locally run services, to allow the freedom to innovate and improve care for patients. The increased resources that we have made available and will continue to make available to support the implementation of the Cancer Plan will move to the national health service frontline. Primary care trusts will have freedom to decide where national health service resources are best spent but they will need to account publicly for how they have used resources against the test of high clinical standards and good value for money.
Cardiovascular Disease
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the cost of male cardiovascular disease to the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [108155]
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Ms Blears: While statistics are held on costs of individual treatments and procedures carried out by national health service providers, none are held relating to costs to the NHS by gender of specific diseases or conditions.
The Government strategy for improving health overall includes a range of activities which will impact on the health of men, including action to prevent and treat coronary heart disease and stroke.
Continence
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what primary care trusts have specialist continence services in place, in line with the good practice in continence service guidelines. [108822]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 April 2003]: We do not collect this information centrally. The national service framework for older people includes a milestone that, by April 2004, all local health and social care systems should have established an integrated continence service.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to write to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to pharmacy regulations, following correspondence from that right hon. Member with regard to Ms I. Hamid, referred to him on or about 10 March from the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. [109231]
Mr. Milburn: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 16 April.
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