Thank you for contacting me about breast cancer.
It is vital that we tackle breast cancer at a local and national level, and ensure that women are diagnosed as early as possible. The NHS’s Breast Screening Programme in England offers all women between the ages of 50 and 70 the opportunity to be screened for breast cancer every three years.
Breast screening is essential to supporting early diagnosis of breast cancer, and preventing approximately 1,300 women dying each year. The Government must take steps to support earlier diagnosis through expanding the network of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and ensuring the NHS meets the Faster Diagnosis Standard.
I understand that several steps are being taken to improve breast cancer screening rates in the United Kingdom. This includes providing £10 million funding through the Women’s Health Strategy to expand capacity for breast screening through the delivery of 29 new breast cancer screening units, 58 remote access upgrades and nearly 70 life-saving service upgrades.
The Government has committed to double the number of CT and MRI scanners, and I will be holding Ministers to account for delivering on these ambitions.
I appreciate the urgency of Breast Cancer Now's report raising concerns about the impact of NICE's appraisal processes on access to medicines for secondary breast cancer.
For patients living across England, I fully recognise that not being able to access these medicines will mean they will have less time with their friends and families.
At the 2024 General Election, I stood on a manifesto which committed to removing obstacles to the use of new medicines, such as the NHS Budget Impact Test and align NHS England's cost-effectiveness thresholds for new medicine indications with those used by NICE.
In answer to a written parliamentary question on Thursday 10 July, the Government gave no indication that it no plans to change the severity modifier being implemented by NICE. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, I note that the Government has committed to speed up access to medicines, but I will be listening carefully to the views of patient groups such as Breast Cancer Now about how these measures may affect the ability of breast cancer patients to access life extending drugs.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.