Labour pledges to Catch Up On Cancer, as more patients are diagnosed late
|
Labour has pledged to cut cancer waiting times and diagnose cancer
earlier, as new figures reveal a rising number of patients are
seeing cancer caught late. New analysis of the latest NHS England
data reveals that 100,000 people were diagnosed with cancer at
stage 3 or 4 in 2021. Overall, late diagnoses in selected cancers
recorded by the NHS are up compared to 2019. Longer waiting
times for diagnostic scans and tests are likely having a negative
effect on cancer...Request free trial
Labour has pledged to cut cancer waiting times and diagnose cancer earlier, as new figures reveal a rising number of patients are seeing cancer caught late. New analysis of the latest NHS England data reveals that 100,000 people were diagnosed with cancer at stage 3 or 4 in 2021. Overall, late diagnoses in selected cancers recorded by the NHS are up compared to 2019. Longer waiting times for diagnostic scans and tests are likely having a negative effect on cancer survival rates. The UK now lags behind comparable European nations in cancer survival rates, with the IPPR estimating that 180,000 lives could have been saved since 2010 had the UK kept pace with the European average. The backlog for tests and scans used to detect cancer has rocketed under the Conservatives. In May 2010, when the last Labour Government left office, there were just 6 patients across the whole of England waiting longer than 13 weeks for an MRI or CT scan. As of October 2023, 29,000 patients have been waiting for the same scans, representing an increase of more than 477,000%. Overall, 1.158 million patients are waiting for NHS tests and scans used to spot cancer. October was the second worst month on record for cancer care waits in NHS history, with 6,700 (42%) of patients urgently referred waited longer than two months to a first treatment for cancer. The next Labour government will get the NHS back on its feet to catch cancer earlier and save more lives from the second biggest killer. The party has pledged to cut cancer waiting times back to target levels for diagnosing and catching cancer earlier. Labour’s plan to Catch Up On Cancer includes doubling the number of MRI and CT scanners, purchasing the latest, AI-enabled scanners so the NHS can get through scans quicker as well as increasing capacity. The plan also includes delivering an extra 2 million appointments on evenings and weekends, and is paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status. Wes Streeting MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, as he announced the pledge, said: "Catching cancer early saves lives - I know because that’s what saved mine. The Conservatives have failed to arm the NHS with enough staff or the latest equipment, and left cancer patients waiting too long for tests and scans. “Cancer is the canary in the coalmine. It is often the sign that things are going wrong in the NHS. After the first term of a Labour government, people should judge us by whether we have improved cancer services and improved survival rates. “Labour’s plan to catch up to cancer will deliver 2 million more appointments on evenings and weekends, and double the number of CT and MRI scanners, so the NHS can catch cancer earlier and treat it faster.” Ends. Notes to editors:
Table Sources:
Other sources
|