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Breast Cancer

Answer

The Department does not collect data centrally on waiting times for genetic tests for inherited forms of breast cancer.However, the Government recognise that some patients have experienced long waits for genetic tests in the past and this will have caused stress and anxiety. This is unacceptable.To improve access and cut waiting times, the genetics White Paper Our Inheritance, Our Future—realising the potential of genetics in the national health service, published in June 2003, committed up to £18 million for NHS genetics laboratories in England. This major investment is boosting capacity and supporting modernisation in genetics laboratories, thus helping them meet the rising demand for genetic tests.To ensure that this investment resulted in real patient benefit, the White Paper set out new standards for genetic test turn around times, to be achieved by the end of 2006. These are:"Within three days where the result is needed urgently, for example, for prenatal diagnosis;""within two weeks where the potential genetic mutation is already known, for example, because another family member has already been tested; and within eight weeks for unknown mutations in a large gene."This money was allocated during the last two financial years (2004-06), and laboratories are working hard to get their new facilities up to speed to meet these standards.We are monitoring molecular genetics laboratories’ progress through the commissioners of genetic services. The laboratories in two of the eight Specialised Commissioning Group areas are already meeting these standards for new referrals of genetic tests for breast cancer. Five of the rest are on track to achieve them by the end of 2006 and the remaining one by early 2007.Genetic services have drawn up plans locally to deal with backlogs, which for a number of reasons vary in size and nature between centres. Their rate of progress has also depended on the timescale for getting new equipment and processes operational. All areas are working to clear backlogs as quickly as possible.The plans to clear backlogs for the laboratory providing the service for Northumberland include samples referred for testing in 2005, and in 2006 prior to the additional capacity becoming available. The laboratory originally anticipated clearing all backlogs by February 2007. However current staff shortages and a greater than anticipated rise in demand for genetic testing services mean that the date for clearing all of the backlog is likely to slip to later in 2007.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

100050; 451 c1265-6W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Breast cancer Medical examinations Screening

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk