Patrick Hurley MP for Southport and the Northern Parishes has called for further action to bring down cancer waiting times, while urging local people not to put off seeing their GP if they experience possible symptoms of cancer.
New NHS figures show that in June, 76.2% of cancer patients treated by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust received their first treatment within 62 days, 8.8 percentage points below the NHS standard of 85%.
The figures mean that almost one in four patients covered by the measure waited longer than the 62-day standard.
Mr Hurley raised the issue after meeting Radiotherapy UK in Parliament to discuss inequalities in access to cancer treatment around the country.
Radiotherapy UK has launched its #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, calling on the Government and NHS to boost cancer services so patients can receive faster and better treatment.
Radiotherapy UK estimates that only 33.5% of cancer patients in the North West receive radiotherapy, compared with a recommended benchmark of around 53%, highlighting continuing regional inequalities in access to treatment.
The Government’s National Cancer Plan has committed to meeting all cancer waiting-time standards by 2029, improving early diagnosis and tackling inequalities in cancer outcomes across the country.
Hurley said the latest figures underline the importance of delivering on those ambitions through continued investment in cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in areas where patients continue to face poorer access to services.
He also stressed that earlier diagnosis depends in part on people seeking medical advice when they notice something unusual, rather than delaying a first visit to their GP.
Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport and the Northern Parishes, said:
“We have to keep bringing cancer waiting times down, increase capacity and make sure that, wherever somebody lives, they can access the treatment they need as quickly as possible.
“The Government’s National Cancer Plan rightly puts earlier diagnosis, faster treatment and reducing inequalities at the heart of improving cancer survival. The challenge now is making sure patients everywhere feel the benefit.
“But there is also something all of us can do. If you notice any symptoms, please don’t put off speaking to your GP because you don’t want to make a fuss or because you hope it will simply go away.
“That is especially important for less survivable cancers such as oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancer, where diagnosing the disease earlier can make an enormous difference.
“My message is simple: the NHS needs to get people through the system faster, and we need to get ourselves into that system sooner when something isn’t right.”
The NHS advises people to see their GP if they experience problems swallowing, unexplained weight loss, persistent heartburn or other possible symptoms of oesophageal cancer that are getting worse, changing or not responding to their usual treatment.
Hurley has consistently campaigned in Parliament for greater cancer awareness as a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Less Survivable Cancers and has contributed to several parliamentary debates on the issue.
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