That this House welcomes the investigations by the Rarer Cancers Forum into the processes used by the NHS to determine exceptional funding requests for treatment; congratulates the Rarer Cancers Forum on the reports resulting from its investigations, Taking Exception and Exceptional England?; expresses concern at the large variation in assessing applications for exceptional funding between different NHS organisations identified in the reports; expresses further concern that a patient is less likely to make an exceptional funding request if they live in a deprived area; notes the finding in Exceptional England? that the average cost to a cancer patient of paying privately for a top-up treatment is in excess of ??20,000; and calls on the Government to investigate the viability of implementing each of the recommendations in the reports so that all patients with cancer are provided with clinically-effective cancer treatments on the NHS if they have been recommended by their doctor.

That this House welcomes the investigations by the Rarer Cancers Forum into the processes used by the NHS to determine exceptional funding requests for treatment; congratulates the Rarer Cancers Forum on the reports resulting from its investigations, Taking Exception and Exceptional England?; expresses concern at the large variation in assessing...

That this House notes the remarkable work of University College Hospital, London and other UK hospitals in developing photo dynamic therapy for the treatment of a range of cancers and other conditions; further notes that the treatment is much less invasive and less traumatic for the patient compared to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, that evidence points to impressive survival rates and that treatment is highly cost-effective; nevertheless notes that photo dynamic therapy is only available in a very small number of NHS hospitals, and that availability is falling; further notes that the Richards' Cancer Review recommended a systematic review of photo dynamic therapy with a view to promoting and extending the use of the therapy across the NHS; expresses regret that progress on this review appears to be moving very slowly; and calls on the Government to take urgent steps to develop the potential for this therapy in the NHS.

That this House notes the remarkable work of University College Hospital, London and other UK hospitals in developing photo dynamic therapy for the treatment of a range of cancers and other conditions; further notes that the treatment is much less invasive and less traumatic for the patient compared to surgery,...

That this House applauds the vital work of specialist lung cancer nurses in caring for patients with lung cancer, providing families with the information and support that they need and sharing their expert knowledge; notes that lung cancer remains the UK's largest killer cancer, resulting in more than 33,500 deaths every year; further notes with concern that on average there is one lung cancer nurse in England for every 132 lung cancer patients, compared to one breast cancer nurse for every 82 breast cancer patients, and that many thousands of lung cancer patients do not have access to a specialist nurse at all; supports the United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC)'s campaign to double lung cancer survival; welcomes the voices of the UKLCC and the National Forum for Lung Cancer Nurses in calling for equal and improved access to lung cancer services across the country, including access to a specialist lung cancer nurse for every patient; and calls on the Government to take action to deliver access to a lung cancer specialist nurse for every patient as recommended in the Department of Health's Cancer Reform Strategy and NICE's Improving Outcomes Guidance.

That this House applauds the vital work of specialist lung cancer nurses in caring for patients with lung cancer, providing families with the information and support that they need and sharing their expert knowledge; notes that lung cancer remains the UK's largest killer cancer, resulting in more than 33,500 deaths...

That this House is concerned by the dramatic rise in obesity and diet-related disease across the UK; recognises a major contributing factor to be excessive consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt; acknowledges the need for simple front of pack labelling with information about the levels of fat, sugar and salt in foods to enable consumers to make healthier choices; welcomes the Food Standards Agency's current evaluation of all front of pack labelling schemes to identify which system performs best to give consumers the information they need; and calls on food retailers and manufacturers to end the confusion caused by the proliferation of different schemes and to commit to adopting whichever single labelling approach is found by the Food Standards Agency to perform best for consumers.

That this House is concerned by the dramatic rise in obesity and diet-related disease across the UK; recognises a major contributing factor to be excessive consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt; acknowledges the need for simple front of pack labelling with information about the levels of fat,...

That this House calls on the Government to develop a National Service Framework for asthma; urges it to improve standards of care and treatment for the 4.5 million people with asthma in England; notes that caring for people who experience an asthma attack costs over three and a half times more than for those whose asthma is well-managed; and is concerned by Asthma UK's research showing that 69 per cent. of people with asthma do not have their symptoms under control and their recent Wish you were here? report, highlighting that children in the primary care trust (PCT) area with the highest emergency admissions ratio are eight times as likely to be admitted to hospital for asthma as children in the PCT with the lowest admissions ratio.

That this House calls on the Government to develop a National Service Framework for asthma; urges it to improve standards of care and treatment for the 4.5 million people with asthma in England; notes that caring for people who experience an asthma attack costs over three and a half times...

That this House marks World Osteoporosis Day on 20th October 2008; welcomes the publication by the National Osteoporosis Society of Your Bones and Osteoporosis: What Every Man, Woman and Child Should Know, a major report that shows almost half of 18 to 24 year olds do not know that there are steps they can take to keep their bones healthy, with more than half unaware that exercise can help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and one in three unaware about the positive role that diet can play; notes that these are alarming statistics in view of the fact that the teens and early twenties are the most important time in terms of taking action to prevent osteoporosis in later life; and supports the recommendations in the report, including taking nationwide measures to improve the public's knowledge of bone health across all ages including that of school age children through the teaching of bone health within the classroom.

That this House marks World Osteoporosis Day on 20th October 2008; welcomes the publication by the National Osteoporosis Society of Your Bones and Osteoporosis: What Every Man, Woman and Child Should Know, a major report that shows almost half of 18 to 24 year olds do not know that there...

That this House notes that October is Lupus Awareness Month; recognises the impact lupus has on over 50,000 people in the UK alongside their families, friends and carers; congratulates LUPUS UK for its work as the only national charity dedicated to raising awareness of the condition, as well as providing support and advice for lupus sufferers and raising funds for the sufferers; further notes that lupus is an auto-immune disease which can cause many and varied symptoms affecting different organs of the body, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, brain and the skin and is often misdiagnosed; further notes that the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs by 2011 is likely to have serious consequences for some lupus sufferers with light sensitivity; welcomes the Government's commitment to work with the lighting industry to seek a solution to this problem; and further urges the Government to raise public awareness of lupus and to encourage research into effective treatment of the disease.

That this House notes that October is Lupus Awareness Month; recognises the impact lupus has on over 50,000 people in the UK alongside their families, friends and carers; congratulates LUPUS UK for its work as the only national charity dedicated to raising awareness of the condition, as well as providing...

That this House is concerned about the terrible impact of seasonal influenza each year on the health of the UK population; recognises the huge burden of influenza on NHS resources; notes that between 3,000 and 4,000 people die each year from influenza-related illnesses; congratulates the Department of Health on the success of its seasonal influenza vaccination campaign, particularly for those people aged 65 years and over, where vaccination coverage rates have reached over 73 per cent.; supports the Department in its decision to focus this year's campaign on those at risk under 65 years old; and calls for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to review the case for reducing the age for influenza vaccination to 50 years and above, and to introduce influenza vaccinations for all children between six months and two years of age to increase the overall uptake rates and to meet the World Health Organisation's target for population coverage.

That this House is concerned about the terrible impact of seasonal influenza each year on the health of the UK population; recognises the huge burden of influenza on NHS resources; notes that between 3,000 and 4,000 people die each year from influenza-related illnesses; congratulates the Department of Health on the...

That this House recognises that over 45,500 women and almost 300 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 in the UK; endorses Breast Cancer Campaign's organisation of Wear it Pink on 31st October 2008; notes the importance of the event in promoting awareness of breast cancer among the general public; encourages hon. Members to participate in the initiative to help raise funds for innovative world-class breast cancer research at centres of excellence throughout the UK; and congratulates Breast Cancer Campaign and all of its supporters for having raised over ??3.2 million in 2007 through Wear it Pink.

That this House recognises that over 45,500 women and almost 300 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 in the UK; endorses Breast Cancer Campaign's organisation of Wear it Pink on 31st October 2008; notes the importance of the event in promoting awareness of breast cancer among the...

That this House notes the findings of the Lymphoma Association's survey of patients' experiences of their diagnosis of lymphoma; expresses concern that although lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in the UK and that there are clear symptoms indicating that a person may have the condition, there is a lack of awareness of these symptoms amongst both members of the public and GPs, with consequent and unnecessary delays in prompt and accurate diagnosis; is disappointed by the survey results showing that more than one in 10 lymphoma sufferers had to visit their GP after their initial visit on a further five occasions before being referred to a specialist; is encouraged by the results showing that pressure from families is a key factor in persuading patients to seek a diagnosis; welcomes the work of the Lymphoma Association in raising awareness of the symptoms of lymphoma and supporting patients and their families with the disease; and urges the Government to work with the lymphoma community through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative to increase awareness of the condition and encourage its early diagnosis.

That this House notes the findings of the Lymphoma Association's survey of patients' experiences of their diagnosis of lymphoma; expresses concern that although lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in the UK and that there are clear symptoms indicating that a person may have the condition, there is...

That this House welcomes the launch of Trailblazers, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's new exciting v-funded volunteering project, which will turn the aspirations of young disabled people into action; notes that this follows the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Bridging the Gap campaign, which highlighted the difficulties young people with muscle disease face in accessing education, employment and making their views heard; is concerned that disabled 16 year olds are twice as likely to be out of work, education or training as their non-disabled peers; recognises that people with impairments and long-term health conditions form 40 per cent. of all people out of work; expresses concern that disabled people form 35 per cent. of the total number of people without any formal qualifications; further recognises the vital contribution young disabled people can make to their local communities; acknowledges the positive role Trailblazers will have in providing opportunities and experiences to young disabled people enabling them to make informed decisions about their future and their local communities; and calls on the Government to support the work of Trailblazers to ensure that the views of young disabled people are heard.

That this House welcomes the launch of Trailblazers, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's new exciting v-funded volunteering project, which will turn the aspirations of young disabled people into action; notes that this follows the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Bridging the Gap campaign, which highlighted the difficulties young people with muscle disease face...

That this House welcomes the Dragging Their Feet report, produced by Target PAD, an expert group of clinicians with an interest in tackling peripheral arterial disease (PAD); notes with concern the serious health, social and economic costs to the 720,000 individuals diagnosed with PAD in the UK, caused by sub-optimal treatment of the disease; further notes the wider costs to these patients' families, and to UK plc; and calls on the Government and health professionals to take action to improve the management of peripheral arterial disease, particularly through supporting the inclusion of measures to manage PAD in primary care through the quality and outcomes framework of the General Medical Services contract and the Government's cardiovascular risk management programme.

That this House welcomes the Dragging Their Feet report, produced by Target PAD, an expert group of clinicians with an interest in tackling peripheral arterial disease (PAD); notes with concern the serious health, social and economic costs to the 720,000 individuals diagnosed with PAD in the UK, caused by sub-optimal...

That this House notes that Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a severe and progressive muscle wasting disease; recognises that DMD is caused by variations in the dystrophin gene on the X chromosome that results in a loss of the protein dystrophin in muscle cells and primarily affects boys; realises that most boys with DMD are confined to a wheelchair by the age of 11 and that the average life expectancy for DMD sufferers is early to mid twenties; understands that DMD occurs in one in every 3,500 male births worldwide and that 100 children a year are born in the UK with DMD; further notes that there is currently no cure for DMD which means that two children per week die in the UK from DMD and that it is the biggest genetic killer in the UK; further recognises that there are only two specialist DMD centres in the UK in Newcastle and London; and calls on the Government to increase funding into research projects and existing clinical trials and to improve the translational network of DMD specialist centres across the UK so that families have access to the best possible care.

That this House notes that Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a severe and progressive muscle wasting disease; recognises that DMD is caused by variations in the dystrophin gene on the X chromosome that results in a loss of the protein dystrophin in muscle cells and primarily affects boys; realises that...

That this House notes with concern the threat to the UK bee population, valued commercially at approximately ??165 million by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, posed by an increase in reported cases of colony collapse disorder and resistance to the chemical treatment for the Varroa destructor mite; further notes that Scottish bee farms, which run 25 per cent. of the UK's commercial hives, are particularly vulnerable as the alternative treatment for the Varroa mite requires an ambient temperature of over 15 degrees centigrade; observes that the limited diagnostic and follow-up service for bee health matters in Scotland comprises only four bee inspectors; expresses concern that the budget for commissioned bee health research and development is lower in real terms now than in 2001 despite the risk to the bee industry increasing; and welcomes the support of the Scottish Beekeepers Association and Bee Farmers Association for greater funding for research into ways of combating the threats to Scottish hives.

That this House notes with concern the threat to the UK bee population, valued commercially at approximately ??165 million by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, posed by an increase in reported cases of colony collapse disorder and resistance to the chemical treatment for the Varroa destructor mite;...

That this House welcomes the launch of the 7 out of 10 campaign to raise awareness of the variations in treatment of prostate cancer patients; notes with particular concern that 7 out of 10 men with metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer are missing the opportunity to receive chemotherapy; further notes that prostate cancer is the commonest male cancer, killing 10,000 men every year; believes eligible men should be given access to chemotherapy where appropriate; and calls on the Government to ensure ideal patient pathways are locally implemented as recommended in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence prostate cancer guidelines published in 2008, first, to ensure that multi-disciplinary team meetings occur at appropriate times and second, to ensure patients are referred to oncologists at the first opportunity.

That this House welcomes the launch of the 7 out of 10 campaign to raise awareness of the variations in treatment of prostate cancer patients; notes with particular concern that 7 out of 10 men with metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer are missing the opportunity to receive chemotherapy; further notes...