John Baron MP urges Government to reverse NHS cancer decision

MP underlines importance of incentivising earlier diagnosis

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer (APPGC), of which John is Chairman, is concerned that the Government may be about to make a major error regarding the incentivisation of earlier diagnosis, which is key to improving cancer survival rates. Late diagnosis makes for poor survival.

In July a National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) advisory committee recommended that only one cancer survival indicator, under-75 mortality, be included in the Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF). The COF will hold the local NHS to account, and therefore the priorities it sets will have a real impact on patient care at the local level. The APPGC has been calling for the inclusion of one- and five-year survival rates in the COF. The NHS Commissioning Board is currently deliberating the final version of the COF and expects to publish its decision in October.

In the House of Commons on Friday, John secured and led a debate on this issue.

In the debate, John said,

“Given all the evidence on how the measure of the one- and five-year survival rates encourages earlier diagnosis, the Government should not allow this major step backwards in cancer care.”

“The APPGC is calling on the NHS Commissioning Board and the Government to include the one- and five-year cancer measures in this important outcomes framework.”

Answering for the Government, the new Under-Secretary of State for Health, Anna Soubry MP, offered to meet John to discuss the matter further.

Afterwards, John said,

“For the Government not to include the one- and five-year survival rates would be a grave mistake. In order for the NHS to raise its game on cancer, it is essential that earlier diagnosis is incentivised.”

“The APPGC will keep pushing on this important issue, and I look forward to meeting Anna Soubry MP to take this forward.”