Thank you for contacting me about leukaemia.
With on average over 4,000 deaths from leukaemia each year across the UK, improving procedures to help treat this disease remains imperative. With over £228 million committed to this end since 2010, I am proud that the Government is committed to doing this.
Early diagnosis of leukaemia is often difficult due to the often vague and unclear nature of symptoms. I am therefore glad that since 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has guided general practitioners to consider an urgent full blood count within 48 hours should adults present with suspicious symptoms.
Furthermore, the NHS Accelerate, Coordinate and Evaluate Programme has led to an increased drive for early diagnosis of cancer patients with non-specific, but concerning symptoms. This has resulted in the continuing roll out of Rapid Diagnostic Centres (RDCs) ensuring that by 2024 the entire population will have access to this coverage, directly benefiting those whose symptoms may otherwise not have been detected. It is encouraging that leukaemia survival rates have more than quadrupled in the last 40 years, and the Government is committed to ensuing this continues.