Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Tuesday Volume 561 16 April 2013 No. 140 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 16 April 2013 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2013 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 147 16 APRIL 2013 148 agree with me that proton beam therapy is now almost House of Commons as important as radiotherapy? How much have the Government spent on this therapy, and how many Tuesday 16 April 2013 patients have been helped by it? The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Anna Soubry: We are building two new machines specifically to deliver that treatment. I accept that these PRAYERS things often take a long time, but those machines are planned to go in. In the meantime, NHS England has made it clear that people who need this specific type of [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] treatment can receive it overseas and it will be funded accordingly. BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS Tessa Munt (Wells) (LD): Two years ago, the Prime LONDON LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND TRANSPORT FOR Minister accepted the installation of CyberKnife as the LONDON (NO.2)BILL [LORDS](BY ORDER) latest in cancer radiosurgery equipment at the world-leading Consideration of Bill, as amended, opposed and deferred Royal Marsden hospital cancer centre. At the last Health until Tuesday 23 April (Standing Order No. 20). Questions, I asked the Secretary of State whether he would accept one of the countless invitations to visit the Royal Marsden. The consultant clinical oncologist has Oral Answers to Questions issued and reissued that invitation, but has had no response from the Department. Could the Secretary of State now please visit CyberKnife at the Royal Marsden? HEALTH Anna Soubry: I have to tell the hon. Lady that, as she knows, there is some controversy over this particular The Secretary of State was asked— treatment, which is backed by a very large and powerful Radiotherapy American company. The Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Central Suffolk 2. Grahame M. Morris (Easington) (Lab): What and North Ipswich (Dr Poulter), has visited, and I progress he has made on the commitment that patients know that the Secretary of State has an extremely busy would have access to appropriate radiotherapy and full diary. It is not as simple as a visit; it is all about wherever they lived. [150764] whether there is any clinical value. Cancer The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Anna Soubry): I am pleased to say that from 26 March, 3. Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con): £22.7 million of the Prime Minister’s fund to improve What steps his Department is taking to raise awareness access to what is called intensity modulated radiotherapy— of the signs and symptoms of cancer. [150765] IMR in short—has already been committed. The money is being used to update machines and ensure that 8. Steve Brine (Winchester) (Con): What steps his radiographers receive extra training if they need it. We Department is taking to raise awareness of the signs are well on our way, especially as it is now a nationally and symptoms of cancer. [150771] commissioned service, so there is no reason why anybody should not have the access they need to this treatment. 12. Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con): What steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the signs Grahame M. Morris: I thank the Minister for that and symptoms of cancer. [150775] response, but is she aware that new guidelines released by NHS England for treating patients using stereotactic The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health ablative radiotherapy—advanced radiotherapy—say that (Anna Soubry): It would take me a very long time to only commissioning for early stage lung cancer will be give all the details of the Department’s work. In short, approved, and that other treatments for all other cancers we have run a number of specific campaigns, both can be paid for only in clinical trials? As no trials are locally and regionally, to deal with a number of cancers. being commissioned in England, can the Minister explain We will now evaluate whether those pilots have been how the treatment for patients with prostate, liver and successful. What I can say is that, such is the success of spinal cancer, who were receiving SABR treatment last the lung cancer campaign, we will be recommissioning month, will be funded in the future? it in July. Anna Soubry: What I do know, having had a long Eric Ollerenshaw: I thank the Minister for that reply. meeting with my officials only this morning, is that the May I raise, in particular, the issue of poor outcomes in evidence, as they have explained it to me, is clear: SABR pancreatic and prostate cancer? The problem we face is is effective only in a small number of people who have, how to achieve the earlier diagnosis that is needed by unfortunately, a certain small tumour in their lungs, and GPs, so that we can achieve better outcomes in terms of it is not suitable for other treatments of cancers. However, international comparisons. if the hon. Gentleman wants to discuss the matter further, my door is always open. Anna Soubry: It was a great pleasure to meet my hon. Friend and the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Nic Dakin) Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con): The trouble to discuss prostate and pancreatic cancer. Those cancers with all these things is that medical science moves faster are difficult because often the symptoms are not obvious. than the targets set by the Government. Does the Minister The “Know 4 sure” campaign highlights some of the 149 Oral Answers16 APRIL 2013 Oral Answers 150 symptoms associated with them. We are evaluating this Anna Soubry: We are always open to discuss anything matter, and if we think that there is benefit in a campaign that can improve outcomes for anybody suffering from specifically on those cancers, we will run that campaign. cancer, and certainly we are alert to all new research. As I said, if that involves talking to devolved Administrations, Steve Brine: The Minister will be aware that the my officials do that in order to improve outcomes for all-party group on breast cancer, which I co-chair, is people in England. holding an inquiry into older people and breast cancer, starting this afternoon. We look forward to seeing her David Tredinnick (Bosworth) (Con): Is my hon. Friend there. What plans do the Government have to ensure aware that one of the most effective treatments in that everyone affected by breast cancer, regardless of reducing the impact of prostate cancer is traditional their age, is diagnosed at the earliest possible stage? Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, and does she agree that it is crucial that we get the regulation of herbal practitioners in place as soon as we can? Anna Soubry: I pay tribute to the work of my hon. Friend and all those involved with the all-party group—I am indeed looking forward to this afternoon’s session. I Anna Soubry: All these things have to be evidence-based. particularly commend the group’s work on targeting I am reminded of the evidence that the chief medical women over 70. Again, we have run a pilot campaign on officer gave recently on this subject. that and are evaluating the results, and if there is value in it, it will be rolled out in order to bring huge benefits. Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab): A freedom of information survey by Labour showed that cancer networks saw their funding cut by 26% between 2010 Fiona Bruce: Given the link between smoking and and 2013 and lost 20% of their work force over the same cancer and the fact that 70% of smokers start before period, losing vital skills and expertise along the way, they are 18 and 94% before they are 25, what consideration despite repeated reassurances from the Government have the Government given to introducing plain packaging that funding for clinical networks would be protected. in order to drive down the number of young people Even more shockingly, all this is happening at a time attracted to smoking in the first place? when the Department of Health has handed back £2.2 billion to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. How Anna Soubry: We are considering what has been a can the Minister justify handing vital NHS funding huge consultation, but I must correct my hon. Friend—I back to the Treasury when cancer networks are being am in no way criticising her—because it is not plain cut, specialist staff and skills are being lost and thousands packaging, but what we call standardised packaging. If, of nurses are being axed? like me, hon. Members were to see the cigarette packets now issued in Australia, they would realise that they are Anna Soubry: I think that that was about four questions far from plain. Some would say that they are a counterfeiter’s in one, but I would certainly dispute all that has been nightmare, not a charter for counterfeiters. said. Let me make this absolutely clear: we know that there was great success in the cancer networks, which is John Healey (Wentworth and Dearne) (Lab): People why we have extended them, so that they now include, remember the massive improvements in cancer care for example, dementia and mental health, and far from services under Labour. Now, more and more people are cutting the overall money going to all the strategic having to wait longer and longer for those crucial networks, we have increased it by 27%.