Recommendations & Conclusions
17 items
1
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
We welcome the development of Rapid Diagnostic Centres and Community Diagnostic Centres, particularly in giving GPs more effective referral routes for possible cancer symptoms, especially those which are non-specific but concerning. However, we have heard differing accounts about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the development of Rapid Diagnostic …
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We welcome the development of Rapid Diagnostic Centres and Community Diagnostic Centres, particularly in giving GPs more effective referral routes for possible cancer symptoms, especially those which are non-specific but concerning. However, we have heard differing accounts about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the development of Rapid Diagnostic Centres in particular and would be concerned if there was a significant delay to their roll-out.
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Government response AI summary
The government states there are already 84 pathways live transforming the way that people with symptoms not specific to one cancer are diagnosed or have cancer ruled out, and have set expectations in the NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2022/23 to extend coverage.
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Department of Health and Social Care
3
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
Cancer screening is a vital tool for early diagnosis, but even before the pandemic there were serious concerns about the effectiveness of national cancer screening services, particularly over IT systems and the speed at which innovations have been implemented. New programmes like the Lung Health Check programme offer some reason …
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Cancer screening is a vital tool for early diagnosis, but even before the pandemic there were serious concerns about the effectiveness of national cancer screening services, particularly over IT systems and the speed at which innovations have been implemented. New programmes like the Lung Health Check programme offer some reason for optimism, but the pandemic has had a seriously disruptive impact on screening services.
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Government response AI summary
The government describes the existing cancer screening programmes, including the introduction of primary Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) screening in cervical screening in 2019, continued work to evaluate self-sampling for HPV, expansion of the home testing programme, and progress in tackling the backlog of invitations caused …
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Department of Health and Social Care
4
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Government should implement the recommendations of Professor Sir Mike Richards’ review of cancer screening as a priority and ensure that there is a clear plan in place to rapidly conduct appointments missed during the pandemic.
Government response AI summary
The government states that through NHS screening programmes they are able to reduce mortality and morbidity and there have been important changes in screening programmes in recent years.
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Department of Health and Social Care
6
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Government’s recent announcement of a £2.3 billion investment in 100 new Community Diagnostic Centres is welcome and could provide a significant increase in physical diagnostic capacity. However, it is not yet clear how much additional capacity this investment will yield and whether it will allow England to catch up …
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The Government’s recent announcement of a £2.3 billion investment in 100 new Community Diagnostic Centres is welcome and could provide a significant increase in physical diagnostic capacity. However, it is not yet clear how much additional capacity this investment will yield and whether it will allow England to catch up with other countries in terms of numbers of scanners per patient. Moreover, while there is a commitment to invest in diagnostic equipment, there appears to be no detailed plan to address gaps in the diagnostic workforce. (Paragraph 62) 42 Cancer services
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Government response AI summary
The government announced a £2.3 billion investment to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and to roll out up to 160 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) by March 2025 and outlined workforce planning measures including expanding training places, streamlining training routes, optimising the use of existing …
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Department of Health and Social Care
10
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
Notwithstanding the lag on published data, on the basis of evidence supplied by the Government and the NHS, and Cancer Research UK’s analysis, we do not believe that the NHS is on track to meet the 75% early diagnosis ambition set by the Government. It is clear that there is …
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Notwithstanding the lag on published data, on the basis of evidence supplied by the Government and the NHS, and Cancer Research UK’s analysis, we do not believe that the NHS is on track to meet the 75% early diagnosis ambition set by the Government. It is clear that there is good work underway to improve early diagnosis, which is welcome, but wholesale improvement is required if the 75% target is to be met. The stated focus on early diagnosis for the Secretary of State’s forthcoming cancer plan is therefore welcome.
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Government response AI summary
The Government welcomes the Committee's recognition of the work that is already under way to deliver on the ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers by 2028 and describes programmes already underway.
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Department of Health and Social Care
12
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
We recognise that the disruption to cancer services during the pandemic was primarily driven by the need to mitigate the risk posed by Covid-19 to patients undergoing cancer treatment. We also recognise the efforts made by the NHS to maintain treatment or offer alternative treatment options. Nonetheless, we remain extremely …
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We recognise that the disruption to cancer services during the pandemic was primarily driven by the need to mitigate the risk posed by Covid-19 to patients undergoing cancer treatment. We also recognise the efforts made by the NHS to maintain treatment or offer alternative treatment options. Nonetheless, we remain extremely concerned at the ongoing disruption to cancer treatment and the lives lost prematurely as a result. While NHS England has continued to prioritise cancer services, we are yet to be convinced that there is sufficient recognition of the scale of the issue, and we are deeply concerned that the target for clearing the backlog for cancer diagnosis and treatment has been moved back by an entire year.
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Government response AI summary
Cancer diagnosis and treatment has remained a top priority and there were over 4.9 million urgent referrals and over 600,000 people started cancer treatment between March 2020 and March 2022 and describes existing NHS Long Term Plan ambitions on early cancer diagnosis and actions local …
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Department of Health and Social Care
13
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England must publish a detailed analysis of the extent of the cancer backlog to support the delivery of the elective care recovery plan. The Department should work with NHS England to set out: a) the latest estimate for how many fewer …
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The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England must publish a detailed analysis of the extent of the cancer backlog to support the delivery of the elective care recovery plan. The Department should work with NHS England to set out: a) the latest estimate for how many fewer cancer referrals and treatment starts there have been seen since the beginning of the pandemic; Cancer services 43 b) the latest estimate for how many of these people may still not have come forward for treatment, based on expected referral rates by cancer type, cancer incidence projections, and mortality rates; c) the breakdown of these estimates according to region and cancer type.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated cancer diagnosis and treatment has remained a top priority throughout the pandemic with substantial funding and targets being set for local systems to reduce cancer diagnosis times and to reduce the shortfall in the number of first treatments.
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Department of Health and Social Care
16
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
As part of its new cancer plan, the Government should include a plan for how to better align the technology appraisals carried out by NICE with the regulatory process applied by the MHRA, in order to reduce the delay between a drug being approved by the MHRA and recommended for …
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As part of its new cancer plan, the Government should include a plan for how to better align the technology appraisals carried out by NICE with the regulatory process applied by the MHRA, in order to reduce the delay between a drug being approved by the MHRA and recommended for use in the NHS by NICE. The Government should also review the uptake of NICE-approved treatments in the NHS and ensure that its new cancer plan includes measures to improve the pace of adoption of newly-approved treatments in the NHS on a fair and equitable basis.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that NICE is committed to publishing guidance around the time of licensing and has consistently delivered on this commitment in the majority of cases, with measures in place for funding ahead of NICE guidance and collaboration between MHRA, NICE, and NHSE&I.
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Department of Health and Social Care
17
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Government and the NHS have recognised some of the issues with radiotherapy delivery in the NHS and have made welcome commitments to resolve these, such as investing in new radiotherapy machines and the proton beam centres in Manchester and London. However, it is clear that there are still significant …
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The Government and the NHS have recognised some of the issues with radiotherapy delivery in the NHS and have made welcome commitments to resolve these, such as investing in new radiotherapy machines and the proton beam centres in Manchester and London. However, it is clear that there are still significant concerns for the sustainability of radiotherapy services, particularly in regard to workforce and equipment as well as the organisation of services.
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Government response AI summary
The government claims to be already addressing concerns about radiotherapy services by investing in new equipment and supporting optimal machine utilisation, staff training, and technology.
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Department of Health and Social Care
18
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Government’s new cancer plan should provide an update to the 2014 radiotherapy vision which should include a long-term rolling investment programme for outdated radiotherapy equipment as well as changes to the national radiotherapy tariff to incentivise the delivery of modern radiotherapy techniques and remove perverse incentives.
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The Government’s new cancer plan should provide an update to the 2014 radiotherapy vision which should include a long-term rolling investment programme for outdated radiotherapy equipment as well as changes to the national radiotherapy tariff to incentivise the delivery of modern radiotherapy techniques and remove perverse incentives.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that until the 2021 Spending Review, replacing equipment resided with NHS Trusts, but since 2016 NHS England has taken steps to ensure every NHS Trust has access to modern equipment and has invested £162m to replace or upgrade over 100 radiotherapy treatment …
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Department of Health and Social Care
21
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
As part of the long-term plan for the cancer workforce, the Government and NHS England should develop specific proposals for improving the retention of experienced cancer staff, including targeting burnout and improving the day-to-day working conditions of staff. (Paragraph 115) Variation
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As part of the long-term plan for the cancer workforce, the Government and NHS England should develop specific proposals for improving the retention of experienced cancer staff, including targeting burnout and improving the day-to-day working conditions of staff. (Paragraph 115) Variation
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Government response AI summary
The government states that the forthcoming 10 Year Cancer Plan, NHS People Plan and 22/23 NHS priorities address workforce wellbeing, including staff mental health hubs and a retention programme.
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Department of Health and Social Care
22
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
Cancer Alliances have had a positive impact on transforming cancer services and sharing best practice, and enjoy strong support from the sector. However, it is clear that while they are having some success, there is still significant unwarranted variation across regions in England and that the ability of Cancer Alliances …
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Cancer Alliances have had a positive impact on transforming cancer services and sharing best practice, and enjoy strong support from the sector. However, it is clear that while they are having some success, there is still significant unwarranted variation across regions in England and that the ability of Cancer Alliances to address this is limited as a result of underlying factors such as workforce shortages. While Cancer Alliances have limited ability to address demographic factors such as deprivation which are also drivers of some variation, it is unacceptable if people receive inequitable care based on their ethnicity. It is welcome that the Government is developing and publishing more cancer data broken down by ethnicity as this will be essential to highlighting differences in care and outcomes.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that Cancer Alliances already lead the planning and delivery of cancer services and their improvement across their local systems.
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Department of Health and Social Care
23
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
To support Cancer Alliances to embed transformation into local cancer services, new Integrated Care Systems must be required to appoint cancer leads, with responsibility for working directly with Alliances to embed best practice into their own systems. Cancer performance should also be Ofsted-rated by Integrated Care Boards as a sub- …
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To support Cancer Alliances to embed transformation into local cancer services, new Integrated Care Systems must be required to appoint cancer leads, with responsibility for working directly with Alliances to embed best practice into their own systems. Cancer performance should also be Ofsted-rated by Integrated Care Boards as a sub- domain to their main rating so there is clarity and transparency about where best practice is being followed and where support is needed.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that Cancer Alliances already lead the planning and delivery of cancer services, and the ICS Design Framework has made clear that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will look to the Cancer Alliances to continue to undertake these roles from July 2022.
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Department of Health and Social Care
24
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
Cancer Alliances must reflect on new data provided to them by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care about cancer outcomes by ethnicity in their areas. In particular they should review the care provided to people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to ensure that no …
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Cancer Alliances must reflect on new data provided to them by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care about cancer outcomes by ethnicity in their areas. In particular they should review the care provided to people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to ensure that no one is receiving worse care on account of their race.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that tackling inequalities is a key focus of the NHS Long-Term Plan and 22/23 Planning Guidance, with actions in place to increase accessibility of surveys, target lung health checks, and target messaging in campaigns to minority audiences.
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Department of Health and Social Care
28
Conclusion
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The impact of Covid-19 on cancer research was significant and it is concerning that trial recruitment has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. However, the pandemic has provided a model for how cancer research can be conducted more efficiently, in more hospitals, to bring greater benefits to patients.
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The impact of Covid-19 on cancer research was significant and it is concerning that trial recruitment has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. However, the pandemic has provided a model for how cancer research can be conducted more efficiently, in more hospitals, to bring greater benefits to patients.
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Government response AI summary
The government describes the multi-year Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery, how it will build on the lessons learnt during the pandemic, and sets out the ambition to create a patient-centred, pro-innovation and digitally enabled clinical research environment.
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Department of Health and Social Care
29
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Government should set out how it will build on the lessons learnt during the pandemic by making it easier for researchers to: a) access vital patient data; b) access staff needed for their studies, by providing more protected time for research in NHS contracts, and c) get studies open …
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The Government should set out how it will build on the lessons learnt during the pandemic by making it easier for researchers to: a) access vital patient data; b) access staff needed for their studies, by providing more protected time for research in NHS contracts, and c) get studies open for recruitment swiftly, by streamlining ethics and other approval processes.
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Government response AI summary
The government outlines actions to improve data access, staff access for studies and streamlining of approval processes, referencing the Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery, investment in Trusted Research Environments, a single front door for study approvals, and the Innovative Licensing and …
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Department of Health and Social Care
30
Recommendation
Twelfth Report - Cancer services
Accepted
The Government should also establish a ring-fenced fund for cancer research infrastructure targeted at NHS trusts which have historically low levels of research activity. (Paragraph 149) 46 Cancer services
Government response AI summary
The Department provides sustained investment in research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services through the NIHR Infrastructure including Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMCs) and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the Royal Marsden BRC.
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Department of Health and Social Care