Radiotherapy: Patient Choice Schemes

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 14 January 2021.

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Photo of Stephen McPartland Stephen McPartland Chair, Regulatory Reform Committee, Chair, Regulatory Reform Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allow cancer patients to choose where they access radiotherapy treatment.

Photo of Jo Churchill Jo Churchill The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

Generally, patients can decide which National Health Service organisation they would like to receive care from as an outpatient and choose the clinical team who will be in charge of their care within an organisation at the point of referral. There are some exceptions that may limit a patient’s choice where speed of access to diagnosis and treatment is particularly important, such as cancer services, where they must be seen within the two-week maximum waiting time.

Once diagnosed with cancer, a team of health professionals work together as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) which includes surgeons, clinical and medical oncologists, pathologists and radiologists and other healthcare professionals. The role of the MDT is to ensure the co-ordination of the patients care throughout their cancer treatment. Cancer treatment plans are determined through MDT discussion.

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