Message
PUGH HOLDS DEBATE ON NHS CANCER TREATMENT
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Southport's MP, John Pugh, questioned the Government in Parliament yesterday on the effectiveness of NHS cancer treatments to highlight severe imbalances in cancer prevalence across different regions of the UK, with Merseyside one of the worst performing areas.
Merseyside is currently ranked as of one the country’s worst-performing areas with regards to cancer rates, with an incidence rate of 474.7 per 100,000 against a national average of 390.8 per 100,000 (2006-2008 figures). Furthermore, cancer rates in Merseyside grew an average of 10% between 1995 and 2008, more than double the national average increase of 4.5%.
Merseyside also suffers some of the UK’s highest cancer-related death rates, with Sefton having the fourth-highest number of deaths from prostate cancer throughout the UK (2011 figures).
Deaths from lung cancer in Liverpool were the highest in the UK together with Manchester (2011), with chances of survival as many as three times lower than those in Hertfordshire. During the debate, Dr. Pugh directly questioned the Minister of State for Care Services, Paul Burstow, regarding the steps his Department is taking to address these gross imbalances in cancer statistics.
Commenting on the debate later in the day, John remarked:
"These disparities in rates of cancer and success of cancer treatment are extremely worrying. Merseyside has consistently seen above-average growth in its number of cancer sufferers, and in some instances have bucked downward national trends for deaths from some types of cancers such as breast cancers.
"The Government needs to take a serious look at its overall strategy for the prevention and treatment of cancer in order to close these gaps. What we have at the moment is in essence a postcode lottery, where your chances of surviving certain types of cancer can be dramatically lower than they would be if you lived in another part of the country. This is frankly unacceptable and I urge the Government to take action promptly."
Main photo: John questions Government Minister Paul Burstow in a Westminster Hall debate