PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Lung Cancer: Screening (14 March 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the additional resources required in (a) primary care, (b) thoracic surgery and (c) systemic anti-cancer therapy clinics following the implementation of a national lung cancer screening programme.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

NHS England is responsible for the roll out of the NHS Targeted Lung Cancer Screening Programme, and work is underway to assess any potential additional resources that may be required at a national level. Primary care capacity has not been directly estimated by NHS England as the impact on capacity is mainly through the identification of incidental findings that require follow-up. This is highly dependent on existing local services and practices, and numbers are not held nationally.

The assessment on thoracic surgery is complex as some surgery would still be required in the absence of screening. In addition, requirements of systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) clinics are equally complex, although some clinics will be required for those diagnosed through the targeted lung cancer screening programme, once fully implemented, the programme could deliver a reduction in SACT demand for patients no longer diagnosed at the latest stage.

Answered by:
Andrew Stephenson (Conservative)
20 March 2024