Tuesday Volume 681 6 October 2020 No. 114 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 6 October 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 727 6 OCTOBER 2020 728 constituency the hospital is and will be rebuilt, that we House of Commons are able to make the funding commitment and get this project going. Tuesday 6 October 2020 Felicity Buchan: I understand that we continue to requisition private hospitals. Given that there are patients The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock who are nervous about attending hospitals, could those be used as covid-secure environments for cancer analysis PRAYERS and treatment? [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Matt Hancock: Yes, absolutely. The private hospitals of this country have played a very important role in Virtual participation in proceedings commenced responding to covid, and we have a contract with them (Order, 4 June). to be able to continue to deliver much needed services, [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] including cancer services. Because by their nature they rarely have the pressures of emergency attendance, we can ensure that they are part of the green part of the Oral Answers to Questions health service—that they are as free as is feasibly possible from coronavirus—and therefore safe to carry out all sorts of cancer treatments. They are an important part HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE of the recovery plan. Jo Gideon: In my constituency of Stoke-on-Trent The Secretary of State was asked— Central, patients being treated for cancer at the Royal Cancer Outcomes Stoke University Hospital were relocated to Nuffield Health in Newcastle-under-Lyme. That is an example James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con): What steps of practical measures that hospital trusts across the UK he is taking to improve cancer outcomes. [907099] have taken to limit the spread of coronavirus since the outbreak in March. As we approach the winter pressures Felicity Buchan (Kensington) (Con): What steps he is on the NHS, will my right hon. Friend outline the taking to improve cancer outcomes. [907102] precautions the Government are taking to ensure that cancer patients’ treatments and appointments are not Jo Gideon (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Con): What steps put to the back of the queue and do not suffer from he is taking to improve cancer outcomes. [907114] undue delays? Angela Richardson (Guildford) (Con): What steps he Matt Hancock: My hon. Friend makes an important is taking to improve cancer outcomes. [907121] point. The Royal Stoke Hospital has performed brilliantly during coronavirus, and I thank everybody who works Julian Sturdy (York Outer) (Con): What steps he is there for the efforts that they have gone to. It is critical taking to improve cancer outcomes. [907123] for everybody to understand that the best way to keep The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care cancer services running is to suppress the disease; the (Matt Hancock): The NHS’srecovery approach is restoring more the disease is under control, the more we can both urgent cancer referrals and treatment to at least pre- recover and continue with cancer treatments. I believe pandemic levels and building capacity for the future. that it behoves us all to make the case that controlling Latest data from July suggests that urgent two-week-wait this virus not only reduces the number of deaths directly GP referrals are back to over 80% of pre-pandemic from coronavirus, but enables us as much as possible to levels. recover the treatment that we need to for cancer and other killer diseases. James Cartlidge: I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer, but does he agree that if we are to deliver Angela Richardson: Following an online meeting with better outcomes in cancer and all areas of care, our the manufacturer, I am excited to visit the Royal Surrey clinicians need the best possible infrastructure? Is not County Hospital on Friday to see up close the robotics that why it is so important that the Prime Minister that are used in many soft tissue cancer operations. confirmed last week that we will deliver our manifesto Does my right hon. Friend agree that these clever pledge of 40 new hospitals? Does my right hon. Friend robots, operated by talented surgeons, help to reduce share my delight at seeing on that list a new rebuild for the size of the incision site and therefore trauma, meaning West Suffolk Hospital, to deliver even better outcomes a swift discharge and recovery for cancer patients, and for our constituents? that they are crucial to ongoing success in hospitals such as the Royal Surrey, which is a world leader in Matt Hancock: Yes, I do. I share my hon. Friend and cancer treatments? neighbour’s enthusiasm for the rebuild of the West Suffolk Hospital. For treating both patients with cancer Matt Hancock: I know the Royal Surrey and I enjoyed and patients with all other conditions, the West Suffolk visiting it, albeit in the rain, in December last year with is a brilliant local hospital that is much loved in the my hon. Friend. The Royal Surrey is carrying out some community; however, its infrastructure is getting very of the most cutting-edge treatments for cancer. We have old and it needs to be replaced. I am delighted, along put extra funding in—a more than £200 million fund—for with the Minister for primary care, my hon. Friend the the use of advanced technology for treating diseases Member for Bury St Edmunds (Jo Churchill), in whose such as cancer, and she will have seen that I announced 729 Oral Answers 6 OCTOBER 2020 Oral Answers 730 to the House yesterday that we are engaging with the The Minister for Health (Edward Argar): It is vital best regulators around the world as we leave the European that non-covid treatments are restored as quickly and Union to ensure that we get cancer treatments to the safely as possible. That is what the NHS is doing. It is frontline as fast as is safely possible. working to have them restored, by October, to around 90% of last year’s levels. Julian Sturdy: York Hospital, like a lot of others, experienced a fall in cancer referrals at the height of the Dr Johnson: Thankfully, children are relatively robust pandemic as a result of residents having stopped going in the face of coronavirus. However, children’s services, to consult their GP. There is real concern among health like other hospital services, were understandably reduced professionals in York about the knock-on consequences during the pandemic. What is my hon. Friend doing to of that and the rise in the backlog of cancer referrals ensure that paediatric services are now 100% up and locally. What steps can the Secretary of State bring running and will not be affected by a future wave of the forward to assist NHS trusts such as York’s to ensure pandemic? What is he doing to support NHS trusts in that the backlog does not lead to late diagnosis of cases, dealing with the backlog of appointments delayed by worsening cancer outcomes? the coronavirus? Edward Argar: I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her Matt Hancock: My hon. Friend raises a very important service to her constituents both as their MP and as a point. As I mentioned in response to the first question, paediatric clinician. She is right to raise this important we now have referrals back up to over 80% of pre-pandemic issue. Restoration guidance has already been published levels, but we need to get that up further, because we all by NHS England and NHS Improvement, setting out a know that early diagnosis saves lives. I am also very glad framework to fully restore services in this area, which I to be able to report that in July, on the latest data, over agree is vital. I would be very happy to meet her to 90% of patients saw a cancer specialist within two discuss this further. weeks of a referral from a GP, and 95% of patients receive treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat, Mental Health Support in Schools so those referrals are leading to the action that is necessary. It is very important that the message goes out Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab): that the NHS is open, and anybody with a concern over What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary cancer should come forward and they can get the treatment of State for Education on allocating additional resources in a safe way that can help to save their lives. for mental health support in schools. [907101] The Minister for Patient Safety, Mental Health and Alex Norris (Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op): In Suicide Prevention (Ms Nadine Dorries):We are working June’s departmental questions, I pressed Ministers on closely with the Department for Education to support the cancer backlog that has grown so greatly under children and young people’s mental health, and we covid, so it was alarming that despite those ministerial remain committed to implementing the proposals in the assurances, between August and September,with infection children and young people’s mental health Green Paper rates being much lower than they are today, the waiting putting mental health support teams in schools and list to see a specialist grew by 16%. Things will only get colleges, otherwise known as trailblazer schemes. harder now that infection rates are rising and with the NHS facing winter pressures, so will the Secretary of Abena Oppong-Asare: Schoolchildren have had their State give us a categorical assurance that he has a education interrupted.