To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1407W, on prostate cancer: staff, when the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust plans to initiate its pilot to enhance multi-disciplinary team working and improve the quality of surgical techniques available to prostate cancer patients; when he expects the pilot to conclude; whether any interim findings have emerged from the development of the pilot; when he expects a final report on the pilot to be published; what funding his Department has provided in support of the pilot in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; what funding his Department plans to provide in support of the pilot in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. (184463)

The prostate cancer multi-disciplinary team training programme was started in February 2007 with the appointment of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to deliver the pilot programme. The trust has been recruiting the necessary staff to develop and evaluate the research elements of the programme with the first training courses due to be delivered in spring 2008. The evaluation report is to be delivered at the end of the 18 month training programme. The pilot is funded by London strategic health authority on behalf of the national cancer action team with £190,000.00 being made available in 2006-07. Future funding levels will be agreed with the trust based on planned deliverable training activity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1407W, on prostate cancer: staff, in what ways (a) his Department and (b) the Healthcare Commission monitors progress against the action plans submitted by strategic health authorities to implement the improving outcomes in urological cancers guidance; what progress has been made to date; and if he will make a statement. (184465)

Strategic health authorities (SHAs) submit six monthly reports to the Department to confirm whether their cancer networks have met any improving outcomes guidance (IOGs) milestones that had been due in the preceding six month period and also to confirm if future milestones are on schedule to be met.

The national health service cancer action team works closely with the cancer networks and the Department’s Recovery and Support Unit liaises with SHAs where deadlines are unlikely to be met to ensure recovery plans are in place.

The Healthcare Commission expects primary care trusts (PCTs) to support the development of agreed action plans within cancer networks as well as to ensure services are commissioned in line with agreed action plans to achieve full implementation of these IOGs. The Department shares information on progress with the Healthcare Commission. The Commission use this information to inform the ratings they give to individual PCTs.