MPs warn of North-South cancer treatment divide
A leading committee of MPs has said that the divide in cancer survival rates between the North and South of the UK is “simply unacceptable”.
In its study of cancer treatment services the Public Accounts Committee found that those in deprived areas tend to die more frequently from cancer than those in affluent areas, as well as surviving for a shorter time after diagnosis.
It says that although the NHS in England is meeting its targets for urgent referral of those suspected of having cancer, patients are still waiting an unacceptably long time for diagnostic services.
The MPs conclude that the NHS is yet to decisively tackle the “postcode lottery” of services.
Chairman of the committee, Conservative MP Edward Leigh, said: “You are almost twice as likely to die of cancer if you live in a northern city as in an affluent area in the south of the country. If you live in a deprived area, your cancer is likely to be more advanced by the time it’s diagnosed and you are less likely to survive.”
He added: “The Department of Health and the NHS need to tackle the underlying reasons behind the health-divide. It is simply unacceptable that there are postcode lotteries for prescription of anti-cancer drugs, waiting times for scans, and even chemotherapy treatments. The Department and the NHS need to identify exactly where there are such inequities, understand the reasons behind them, and address them without delay.”
Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the report showed Labour was failing to deliver on health.
He said: “Four years ago Labour promised a cancer awareness programme, which they’ve failed to deliver. This complacency is unacceptable and has contributed to the loss of thousands of lives, particularly in the most deprived areas that are the worst hit”.
