TO be diagnosed with cancer must come as a huge shock.
Not long ago the prospects for sufferers could be fairly bleak, but these days the outcomes are a lot better.
The Conservatives couldn’t be trusted with our health service – on their watch the NHS had not met the central cancer performance target since 2014.
But now there’s a clear plan and Labour’s record investment in our NHS means things are improving massively.
By 2029 the NHS will meet all three cancer waiting time standards, meaning that hundreds of thousands of patients will be treated within 62 days.
With Labour, every patient will receive a tailored support plan covering treatment, mental health and employment.
Under the Tories, survival rates for some cancers went from the best in Europe to below those in emerging countries.
Now under Labour people living in rural and coastal communities like ours will find it easier to see a cancer specialist.
The most deprived parts of the country often have fewer cancer consultants, leaving patients waiting longer for vital care.
These same areas sometimes face the highest rates of economic inactivity, with long waits for diagnosis and treatment keeping people out of work and holding back economies.
To fix this, the government will encourage more doctors to specialise in clinical and medical oncology, boosting the number of cancer specialists in those areas.
The details will be set out in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, helping patients get diagnosed and treated faster as part of the government’s mission to make England a world-leader for cancer survival and build an NHS fit for the future.
The strategy aims to significantly improve cancer survival rates and care, with specific implications for local services like Furness General Hospital and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
To further tackle inequalities, the plan will also set new national standards for cancer care and invest in the latest technology and AI to spot cancers earlier.
The plan will also include faster diagnostics: a £2.3bn investment will deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 – investing in more scanners, digital technology and automated testing.
Where possible, community diagnostic centres will run 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Robot-assisted surgery will also be advanced with the number of these procedures increasing from 70,000 to half a million by 2035.
More cancer patients with rarer cancers will have their care reviewed and treated at specialist centres, where they can receive help from the best oncologists.
These centres will bring together surgeons, oncologists, specialist nurses and radiologists to agree the best treatment plan for each case.
Under Labour, the NHS will be there for you when you need it.