PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Cancer: Coronavirus (3 September 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the long-term impact of the covid-19 outbreak on cancer survival rates as the result of cancelled treatment and reduction in diagnoses.

Asked by:
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)

The National Health Service has closely monitored cancer activity including referrals, treatments and waiting times, to understand the impact of the pandemic on cancer services and patients. However, it is too soon to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic on survival rates.

The majority of cancer services have been maintained throughout the pandemic, with 381,500 people starting cancer treatment between March 2020 and June 2021 - 95% of whom started treatment within 31 days. In June, the third highest number of patients were referred in a single month.

Answered by:
Jo Churchill (Conservative)
10 September 2021