Primary care trusts (PCTs) are funded to meet the healthcare needs of their populations, which will include the provision of cancer services. PCTs are expected to plan for and commission services, and to monitor delivery of those services against local agreements. PCT and cancer networks are jointly responsible for making local decisions about the services needed, and are expected to use local information to assess the need for local awareness initiatives. PCTs are responsible for driving and managing change locally.
It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that general practitioner and primary care professionals have appropriate and timely direct access to diagnostic tests, and to determine whether these diagnostic facilities should be provided in acute general hospitals or in community settings, on the basis of local circumstances and the needs of their local populations.
All the cost estimates are in real terms with a base year of 2005-06.