Cancer: Urinary System

Mr. Lansley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will provide an update on the progress made by cancer networks in implementing the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers, published in September 2002, setting out (a) which cancer networks have agreed an action plan with the Department of Health and (b) the expected date for full implementation in each cancer network;

(2) with reference to the Answer of 16 April 2007 to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge, Official Report, column 325W, on Cancer: Urinary System, if he will place in the Library copies of the action plans submitted to his Department by strategic health authorities which demonstrate how they will implement the guidance on improving outcomes in urological cancers; which cancer networks reported at December 2006 that the guidance on Improving Outcomes in urological cancers would not be fully implemented by December 2007; what series of measures incorporated into the Manual of Cancer Services 2004 were translated from the Improving Outcomes in urological cancers guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen
As at 31 June 2007 the following cancer networks had action plans agreed by the national health service cancer action team for implementing the urological cancers improving outcomes guidance:

North London

South East London

South West London

West London

North East London

Number and Yorkshire Coast

Yorkshire

North Trent

Greater Manchester and Cheshire

Lancashire and South Cumbria

Merseyside and Cheshire

Central South Coast

Thames Valley

Sussex

Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire

Three Counties

Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire

Dorset

Peninsula

Mid Trent

Derby and Burton

Leicestershire,

Northamptonshire and Rutland

Arden

Pan Birmingham

Greater Midlands

North of England (formerly Cancer Care Alliance and Northern)

Anglia (formerly Norfolk and Waveney and West Anglia)

Essex (formerly Mid Anglia and South Essex)

Mount Vernon

The Department does not hold a set of these local plans as they were submitted to the NHS cancer action team for approval. Copies should be available from individual cancer networks.

The reporting system in use in December 2006 did not provide sufficient information to identify with confidence those networks that did not expect to achieve full implementation of the urological cancers guidance by December 2007. A stock take therefore took place in Spring 2007 to strengthen the information base and subsequent data collections.

The most recent data are based on strategic health authority (SHA) June 2007 reporting plus intelligence from the NHS cancer action team. It shows that in summer 2007:

14 networks were already reporting implementation of this guidance;

Nine networks were reporting that they were on schedule for implementation by 31 December 2007;

Six networks were reporting that they were not on schedule to implement the guidance by 31 December 2007 (Humber and Yorkshire Coast, Yorkshire, Central South Coast, Mid Trent, Greater Midlands and Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire)

One network was still to submit an approved plan (Kent)

The cancer action team continue to work closely with cancer networks on this matter. In addition, the Department's Recovery and Support Unit is liaising with SHAs where deadlines are unlikely to be met to ensure recovery plans are in place.

SHAs have recently submitted information confirming the position for 31 December 2007. This is currently being analysed and will provide a clearer national position including the expected implementation date for any networks that had not fully implemented this guidance by the end of 2007.

The measures included in the Manual for Cancer Services based on the urological cancers Improving Outcomes Guidance have been placed in the Library.