Bowel Cancer: Screening

‘ To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of (a) radiologists, (b) pathologists, (c) surgeons and (d) specialist nurses to support national bowel cancer screening programme objectives and delivery of the 18 week pathway. (178035)

Service transformation, supported by the significant increase in the work force since 1997, new ways of working and productivity gains, will enable 18 weeks to be delivered and sustained.

Expansion of medical and nurse training has supported the planned expansion of the national health service work force which was part of the NHS Plan.

The number of consultants working in the relevant three specialties in 1997 and 2006 and the percentage change is shown in the following table:

*Hospital and community health services: Medical and dental staff showing consultants working within specified speciality groups, as at 30 September each year*
Number (headcount) and percentage
	1997	2006	Change 1997-2006	Percentage change 1997-2006
Pathology group	2,884	3,956	1,072	37.2
Of which:
Consultant	1,838	2,416	578	31.4

Radiology group	2,064	3,204	1,140	55.2
Of which:
Consultant	1,473	2,105	632	42.9

Surgical group	13,394	19,425	6,031	45.0
Of which:
Consultant	4,094	6,129	2,035	49.7

Data on specialist nurses to support the national bowel screening programme are not collected centrally and commissioning of specialist nurses is driven by the local health care needs.

Volume 471: debated on Monday 4 February 2008