has asked the public ‘to judge the Labour
government on whether it is delivering quality and timely care
for cancer patients’, as he meets with world-leading cancer
experts today.
, and Shadow Health Secretary,
, will be meeting with leading figures from cancer
research, life sciences, and patient care, as well as cancer
survivors, to discuss the party’s plans for tackling cancer
in government.
These include:
- Michelle Mitchell, CEO, Cancer Research UK
- Professor Sir , Regius Professor of Medicine,
Oxford University
- Professor Sir Mike Richards, UK National Screening Committee
Chair
- David Brocklehurst, Head of Oncology UK, AstraZeneca
- Gemma Peters, CEO, Macmillan Cancer Support
The meeting comes as new figures published by the NHS reveal:
- The Government missed the target set in its elective recovery
plan to cut the number of cancer patients waiting more than 62
days to start treatment to pre-pandemic levels
- 593,000 patients waited too long to see a cancer specialist
after an urgent referral last year, 13 times as many as Labour’s
last year in office
- Cancer waiting times in 2022/23 were the worst on record
- More patients have waited longer than they should for cancer
care in every year since 2010
The OECD found that patients with cancer are more likely to die
in the UK than in any other country in the G7. The UK comes 23
out of 30 OECD nations for the number of people who get a CT
scan.
Labour’s plan for improving cancer care includes:
- Training 7,500 more doctors and 10,000 more
nurses a year, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax
status
- Using spare capacity in the private sector to bring down the
NHS backlog
- Reforming the NHS to shift its focus to early diagnosis and
intervention, as well as preventing ill-health in the first place
Speaking ahead of the roundtable, , Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said:
“We have all felt that shiver run down our spine, when a loved
one or ourselves receives a cancer diagnosis. It affects each and
every one of us.
“Cancer care is in crisis. The Tories have left too many cancer
patients waiting too long for a diagnosis, specialist
appointments, and to begin their treatment. When it comes to
cancer, delays cost lives.
“Our universal healthcare service and leading research
institutions mean patients in this country should receive
world-class cancer care. Instead, compared with other countries,
we’re at the bottom of the table on catching cancer early and
treating it effectively.
“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.
“We need to build momentum behind a new approach to cancer care
that will see rapid improvements for patients. It is only by
harnessing the expertise of world-leading cancer experts that we
will get to grips with the barriers to progress. That is what I
am doing today.”
Ends
Notes
- NHS cancer waiting times data published here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
- OECD ranking for cancer mortality rates and CT scans
https://data.oecd.org/healthstat/deaths-from-cancer.htm#indicator-chart
https://data.oecd.org/healthcare/computed-tomography-ct-exams.htm
