Cancer: Health Services

Chris Ruane
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Cancer Reform Strategy in tackling cancer in its first year of operation.

Ann Keen
The first annual report of the Cancer Reform Strategy (published in 2007), “Cancer Reform Strategy: Maintaining momentum, building for the future—first annual report”, was published on 1 December 2008. The report highlights the considerable progress that has been made on the implementation of the Strategy. A copy of this report has already been placed in the Library.

We will assess the wider impact of the Cancer Reform Strategy by looking at its effect, and that of the NHS Cancer Plan (published in 2000), on mortality rates over an extended period. Mortality rates in people under 75 have fallen by 17 per cent. between 1996 and 2005. This performance means that we are expected to meet our target of a reduction of at least 20 per cent. in cancer death rates in people under 75 by 2010 from the 1995-97 baseline rate.