At the time of writing, Wes Streeting is preparing to set out his vision for transforming national health in England at the Labour Party Conference. This will be delivered in the wake of Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS, which paints a brutal but honest picture of the huge challenges facing our health services.
The review was a much-needed diagnosis of issues within the healthcare system in England. But it has to be followed up with tough and targeted treatment.
Despite the best efforts of its hard-working staff, the NHS is in a critical condition. According to Cancer Research UK analysis, without government action, more than 300,000 cancer patients in England will fail to start their treatment on time over the next five years.
Every missed target means unimaginable anxiety for a patient and their loved ones, and this devastating figure should act as a stark warning to political leaders.
But this is a surmountable problem, and addressing it will benefit more than cancer patients alone. Cancer is a disease that spans the whole health service, and tackling it will yield positive results across the NHS. Get it right for cancer and we’ll get it right for many other conditions.
Early signs are encouraging. We welcome Labour’s manifesto commitments to meet all cancer waiting times targets by the end of this parliament, and to increase investment into the NHS workforce.
The new government’s focus on shifting from treatment to prevention will mean a happier and healthier nation, and fewer people joining mounting waiting lists. Plans to re-introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill are a crucial step in the battle against smoking, the single biggest cause of cancer in the UK. Restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods will also help to reduce obesity – linked to 13 different cancer types. For the public to reap the benefits of these proposals, the UK government must ensure there are no more delays to these crucial pieces of legislation.
But there are no quick fixes to rebuild the NHS. There’s no silver bullet. The government’s positive commitments need to form part of a long-term strategic plan for beating cancer together.
There will be no progress on cancer without backing innovation and research, and the NHS plays a key role in this. It’s vital that staff have protected time for research within their contracts, to allow for clinical trials to take place.
But the reality is the NHS hasn’t got the staff to run its cancer services, let alone to run clinical trials alongside them. More funding, as well as reform will be key to delivering the care people deserve. We need to improve technology, make it easier for people to book crucial appointments, and get new innovations to patients quicker.
We know that the UK is behind similar countries when it comes to cancer survival. This is damaging not only for our health but also our economy, and the disease creates huge costs in lost productivity and additional pressure on public services. Investing in addressing this issue will return human and financial rewards – but it will also take time.
Here at Cancer Research UK, it’s our job to back scientific progress. It’s thanks to research that cancer survival has doubled since when I was born in the 1970s.
Much of the work that we fund today through our brilliant scientists may not have its full impact for years to come. But each programme could contain the clue to a vital breakthrough which brings hope to patients across the world. That means we are forced, everyday, to think long-term. This government must do the same.
The cost of failing to act could be devastating. Our analysis shows that on current trends there could be over 900,000 deaths from cancer in the UK in this next parliamentary term – an increase of 17% compared to the previous five years. Behind each of these numbers are people with friends, families and loved ones they will leave behind.
The situation for cancer patients is urgent. Lord Darzi has diagnosed the NHS. We now need to treat it and prevent this situation from ever arising again. The government must make things better for people affected by cancer – starting today.
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