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Health: Cancer

Answer

Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, published on 12 January, sets out how the reforms of health and care services will drive improvements in cancer outcomes and improve the quality and efficiency of cancer services. The strategy is backed by over £750 million of additional funding over the next four years and the NHS Operating Framework 2011-12 states that the National Health Service should support its introduction. In the outcomes framework, cancer is identified as a specific improvement area for preventing people from dying prematurely, and in the strategy we have set out an ambition to save 5,000 additional lives from 2014-15. The funding we have provided is available to deliver improved survival rates, and that is what the NHS will be held to account for delivering. Annual reports will be published to measure progress on implementation and on improving cancer outcomes and we are planning to publish the first report this winter. The 2010 Cancer Patient Experience Survey shows that cancer patients who have support from clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) have an overall better experience of care. We expect the NHS to consider this in developing its policies to improve patient experience. To support the NHS to develop the CNS workforce, the strategy sets out our intention to build the evidence base for the benefits and costs savings that CNSs can offer. This follows an independent report we published in December 2010 that showed that, in many scenarios, the costs of additional support roles are likely to be outweighed by the savings that can be achieved.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

12340; 731 c95WA

Session

2010-12

Subjects

Cancer Health services Finance

Link

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