In 2018/19, the National Cancer Programme established the National Support Fund for Cancer Alliances. The purpose of the National Support Fund is to address geographical variation in the transformation funding bids submitted by Cancer Alliances in 2017/18. The Fund is being used by Cancer Alliances to:

- improve, and sustain, performance against the 62-day cancer waiting-time standard; and

- underpin delivery of the relevant 2018/19 Planning Guidance priorities in a consistent way across the country.

Alongside this, NHS England is providing an additional £10 million this financial year to improve and reduce variation in operational performance. This work will focus on:

- a nationwide initiative (particularly focused on urology) to grow capacity and support improvement activity across the county; and

- engaging with especially challenged areas to diagnose the root causes of their poor performance and to implement actions enabling the better management of additional patient demand.

There is no record held of the total number of women coming forward who have not received an invitation to breast screening before May 2018.

Public Health England contacted 195,565 women registered with a general practitioner in England in May 2018. In addition, all the affected women known to have moved to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland were also written to by 1 June.

Any extra capacity being provided in response to this incident is being delivered in addition to existing capacity. The screening service for women aged 50-70 will continue to be delivered in the usual way.

All women affected who wish to have a breast screen will receive an appointment to take place before the end of October 2018.