I am encouraged that UK cancer survival rates have never been higher, however, there is still more to be done.
The Government has been working with the NHS, charities and patient groups to deliver the cancer strategy developed by the independent Cancer Taskforce. It has committed to ensuring that by 2020, everyone urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer will receive either a definitive diagnosis or the all-clear within four weeks. The Government is supporting this by investing up to £300 million a year by 2020 to increase diagnostic capacity, along with a national training programme for an additional 200 staff with the skills and expertise to carry out endoscopy tests by 2018. NHS England has also announced a £130 million fund to modernise radiotherapy across England.
I agree it is essential that the funding is in place to provide the necessary care and support to those diagnosed with cancer. I support the Conservative party commitment to increase NHS spending in England by a minimum of £8 billion in real terms over the next five years which will enable the NHS to fund its own plan for the future, the Five Year Forward View.