MP chairs national summit to launch new report calling for Government to catch up with cancer

This week, South Lakes MP Tim Farron chaired a national cancer summit, to launch a new report setting out how the Government should tackle the cancer backlog which has been created by the covid pandemic.

The "Catch Up With Cancer - The Way Ahead" report was produced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Radiotherapy which Tim chairs.

The report calls on the Government to recognise the scale of the problems caused by the crisis and to deliver ring-fenced investment to improve cancer infrastructure.

It concluded that a minister should be appointed to take responsibility for ensuring cancer care recovers, in the same way a minister for vaccines was appointed to oversee the rollout.

The summit was attended by medical experts, charities, patients and over 60 MPs.

Tim said: "There is an unbelievable level of frustration in the cancer community, because this frightening backlog is a preventable crisis.

"They have all the expertise needed to bust the cancer backlog. But that can only happen if ministers are willing to accept there is a crisis, deliver vital investment in cancer services and act quickly."