I recently took the opportunity to attend an important event in Parliament for World Cancer Day. World Cancer Day aims to draw attention to the necessity of working together with MPs, NHS staff, researchers and cancer patients to beat cancer. World Cancer Day is a commitment from countries across the globe to raise awareness of cancer and to promote its prevention, detection and treatment.
Every year, 1,900 cases of cancer are diagnosed in the South Worcestershire CCG area alone. Though the survival rate has doubled in the last 40 years in the UK, there is still more progress to be made. At the moment, 2in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research, as well as other cancer charities, want to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 out of 4 people will survive their cancer for at least a decade. The Government has already outlined ambitious plans to see 55,000 more people surviving cancer for five years in England each year from 2028 as part of the wider NHS Long Term Plan.
On this, Shaun Walsh, Head of Public Affairs at Cancer Research UK says “We need as many people as possible to stand shoulder to shoulder with our doctors, scientists and nurses on the frontline against cancer. The Government’s upcoming plan for NHS staffing is vital for the years ahead.”
Addressing NHS staffing shortages is a huge priority for the Government to make sure cancer patients get the best possible care. In the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government committed to recruiting 50,000 more nurses, 6,000 new GPs, and 6,000 more primary care professionals in addition to the 7,500 further nurse associates and 20,000 primary care professionals announced previously – all vital in the fight to beat cancer. These commitments are vital to ensuring our NHS is fit for the long term.
I was delighted to join Cancer Research UK at their event in Parliament to show my support in our fight against cancer. Cancer Research and other cancer charities do a lot of work to help raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and the necessary staffing to support this. I wholeheartedly support the Government’s commitment to improve recruitment throughout the country, as well as funding research and addressing the most common causes of cancer like smoking and obesity. World Cancer Day really emphasises the importance of working together to beat cancer.
