READING’S Lib Dems are calling on cancer patients to start their treatment within two months of an urgent referral.
It comes after their party’s leader, Ed Davery, set out plans to invest £4bn in the NHS specifically for cancer treatment, should they form the next government.
He lost both his parents to cancer: he was four when his father died and 15 when his mother died.
“It’s the job of government to make sure that we are diagnosing cancer as early as possible, that patients are starting treatment as early as possible, and that every patient gets the ongoing care and support they need,” he said.
Mr Davey added the party is calling for people to be able to get a GP appointment within seven days, investment in MRI scanners, and radiotherapy machines.
And the local party is backing that call. They say the latest NHS figures shows that, in the last year, 544 cancer patients in the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust area waited more than 62 days to start treatment after being referred – so two-thirds (67%) of patients in the area were treated within two months, below the government target of 85%.
The investment would help fund radiotherapy machines, and provide additional support for cancer patients and their families. There would also be more funding for research.
Tilehurst ward councillor Meri O’Connell said: “Everyone knows someone whose life has been turned upside down by cancer.
“Far too many people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed. We must do right by them and get them the care they need when they need it.
“The Liberal Democrats would give cancer patients a new legal right to treatment within two months of an urgent referral, to make sure they get the care they deserve.
“This forms part of our ambitious plan to end unacceptable cancer delays and boost survival rates.”
