---

Breast Cancer

Answer

The Department does not collect data centrally on waiting times for genetic tests for inherited forms of breast cancer.However, the Government recognise that some patients have experienced long waits for genetic tests in the past and this will have caused stress and anxiety. This is unacceptable.So, to improve access and cut waiting times, the genetics White Paper ““Our Inheritance, Our Future—realising the potential of genetics in the NHS””, published in June 2003, committed up to £18 million for NHS genetics laboratories in England. This major investment is boosting capacity and supporting modernisation in genetics laboratories, thus helping them meet the rising demand for genetic tests.To ensure that this investment resulted in real patient benefit, the White Paper set out new standards for genetic test turn around times, to be achieved by the end of 2006. These are:"within three days where the result is needed urgently, for example, for prenatal diagnosis""within two weeks where the potential genetic mutation is already known, for example, because another family member has already been tested; and""within eight weeks for unknown mutations in a large gene."This money was allocated during the last two financial years (2004-06), and laboratories are working hard to get their new facilities up to speed to meet these standards.We are monitoring molecular genetics laboratories’ progress through the commissioners of genetic services. The laboratories in two of the eight specialised commissioning group areas are already meeting these standards for genetic tests for breast cancer. Five of the rest are on track to achieve them by the end of 2006 and the remaining one by early 2007.We are currently reviewing progress since the publication of the genetics White Paper to see what more needs to be done to equip the NHS to deal with future demand for genetics services. In addition, I will be attending a summit on 23 November, organised by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, to discuss progress on these issues.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

98653; 451 c1264-5W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Breast cancer Medical examinations Screening

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk