68132 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

68132 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter April to June 2024 to ‘Develop new, joined-up pathways to facilitate rapid diagnosis of suspected cancer, beginning in primary care to support equitable access to cancer diagnostic and treatment options’ under section 2.3 ‘Mate pukupuku | People with cancer’ within Te Whatu Ora’s Te Pae Tata: Interim New Zealand Health Plan 2022?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that during the April to June 2024 quarter, the following progress took place: • Work continued on the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Pathway to gain national consensus. • Work continued on the development Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) for Symptomatic pathway. • Work continued on the development of the National Cancer Clinical Network which will serve both Health NZ and Te Aho o Te Kahu. • Improvements were made at a district level to improve access to diagnostics for patients with a high suspicion of, or confirmed, cancer. • Work progressed on establishing a radiology transformation programme.