Prime Minister's question asked in the House of Commons, by Stephen Ladyman (Labour). It was answered on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Engagements

Question: Specialist nurses are going to be vital if we are to meet the Prime Minister's commitment to one-to-one care for cancer patients, as well as helping people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to stay in their own home. However, we know from the early 1990s that when Governments decide to squeeze NHS budgets, specialist nurses often do not get a look in. Will the Prime Minister guarantee that under his Government, specialist nursing will get the resources that it needs to deliver the standard of health care at home that we Labour Members want to see?

Answer: We are trying to transform cancer care in our country. Over the next 10 years, £15 billion is being invested in research, much of it in cancer. The cancer guarantee is that people can see a specialist within two weeks. We hope that this will happen within one week, so that people can sometimes have their diagnostic test and results on the same day. We want to introduce a service in which there is personalised care available for those suffering from cancer, so that they can also be visited at home. This is how the modern health service is going to develop—personalised services available to people and tailored to their needs. With the reforms that we have made, that is now possible. I cannot for the life of me understand why the Conservative party is rejecting the cancer guarantee that would allow people to see a specialist within two weeks. I believe that that challenges its very commitment to the health service.

Secondary information