Mr. Tony Canavan:

The key to the relationship between the regions and the national picture is through the service plan. The strategy will be set for cancer services through the NCCP. We need that within the regions. It is important that we continue to take a national approach to the delivery of cancer care. It is important that our service plans each year reflect that.

That said, it is fair to say that each region is facing different sets of pressures and different sets of challenges. What might be addressed in the west or the north west as a priority for cancer care might be slightly different but all of them are driving towards improving outcomes for cancer patients across the country overall.