debates/debates2025-11-25d conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-11-25d conversation_3

Gareth Thomas:What steps he is taking to improve cancer services in north-west London. \p Karin Smyth: Thanks to our investment and modernisation of the NHS, the Government are putting cancer services on the road to recovery by opening up community diagnostic centres on evenings and weekends, building new surgical hubs and investing in new radiotherapy machines. We are diagnosing cancer faster and treating it sooner. This year, an extra 193,000 patients received a timely diagnosis or the all-clear compared with the previous year.[Official Report, 4 December 2025; Vol. 776, c. 12WC.] (Correction) I am pleased to report that cancer services in north-west London rank among the best performing in England, and we are committed to further improvement. \p Gareth Thomas: Northwick Park hospital is the acute hospital serving my constituents. It benefits from having excellent cancer clinicians. They are determined to go ever further to improve the speed of diagnosis and the quality of support for those diagnosed with cancer, and are developing plans for a cancer centre for the hospital. As part of the roll-out of the national cancer plan, would my hon. Friend be willing to visit and meet those clinicians, and perhaps bring the Secretary of State’s chequebook with her? \p Karin Smyth: As my kids would say, that is a bit boomer, but I take the point. My hon. Friend is a tireless campaigner for Northwick Park and his constituents, and he has long campaigned for the improvement of cancer services. Any reconfiguration or change to services needs to be clinically led by local decision makers, following engagement with patients and stakeholders. I am sure that the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton), who is developing the cancer plan, would be happy to meet him to discuss services in his constituency. \p Gagan Mohindra: Mount Vernon hospital is a cancer specialist hospital in north-west London. Following the recent closure of the Mount Vernon urgent care centre and the delay to the new Watford general hospital until at least 2032, both of which I have previously raised in the Chamber, uncertainty regarding the future of Hemel Hempstead hospital now looks set to further restrict access to vital healthcare services for my constituents. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that my constituents receive the adequate access to healthcare that they deserve? \p Lindsay Hoyle: Presumably at this particular hospital. \p Gagan Mohindra: Mount Vernon is next door. \p Karin Smyth: This question is about services across north-west London. We are working with all integrated care boards to ensure that they work with local Members of Parliament about service configuration. It is a matter for them to determine. I have spoken to the hon. Gentleman previously. We are determined to ensure that we have the best services for people in their local areas based on clinical need. Today I have been talking about neighbourhood health services, for example. As we develop the health  service plan and put right the mistakes of the past in getting the new hospital programme on to a sustainable footing, all of this will be considered in the round. I am happy to keep talking with him.