Tim Farron hosts event in Parliament to encourage MPs to back cancer campaign

Ahead of World Cancer Day this Sunday, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron teamed up with charity Radiotherapy UK to host an event this week in Parliament to encourage MPs to get involved in the Catch Up With Cancer campaign.

The event gave MPs the opportunity to find out the latest cancer treatment waiting times for their area and see the regional disparities of cancer treatment across the UK.

Here in Cumbria, the latest stats from the NHS reveal that:

• Nearly half (48.4%) of patients in North Cumbria waited more than two months for their first cancer treatment after receiving an urgent referral from a GP
• More than one in four (27.4%) breast cancer patients in North Cumbria waited more than two weeks for their first consultation after an urgent referral from a GP
• Almost one in five (19.4%) patients in Morecambe Bay waited more than an month for their first treatment after a decision to treat

Parliamentarians were also able to hear from leading clinicians, cancer patients and workforce representatives about the cost-effective and immediate solutions that radiotherapy can offer in closing the cancer treatment care gap.

This week, Tim also signed a joint letter with other MPs to the Prime Minister calling for an "urgent new and radical cancer plan, which looks to increase radiotherapy treatment capacity with rapid investment and delivers world-class cancer care across the country."

Speaking after the event, Tim said: "I'm massively grateful to Radiotherapy UK for organising the event and dozens of MPs who attended throughout the day.

"The Government have failed to take the action required to tackle the huge cancer backlog, and so we need to drum up as much support as possible from MPs from all parties.

"Despite the best efforts of our heroic front line NHS staff, patients in Cumbria and across the country will unnecessarily lose their lives unless the Government acts now."