Cancer Treatment Locally, 'Well Below Standard'

11.31.36am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 30th Jun 2003

MP Vincent Cable has expressed concern over figures that have emerged showing that in both cancer treatment and screening, local residents enjoy standards well below average.

After complaining to the main local cancer treatment centre (Charing Cross and Hammersmith) about a beast cancer patient kept waiting six months for radiography, he has now been told officially that the average current waiting time is over 3 months as against official guidelines recommending a maximum of 1 month.

The Primary Care Trust has also confirmed that for breast cancer screening for 50 to 64 year old women only 52% were covered in 2001/2 as against 73% nationally (though some affluent women undoubtedly had the screening carried out privately).

Vincent Cable said: "the government has repeatedly said that cancer is among the top priorities within the government's top priority, the NHS. Yet despite all the resources going in, performance is well below recognised safe levels. The problems are well known - lack of trained radiologists and technicians - but the government should, if necessary, be funding more NHS patients into private hospitals like the Cromwell, as the local Primary Care Trust is starting to do".

Vincent Cable who recently initiated a debate in parliament on cancer screening said that "the local figures showing low take up are worrying though I gather that there has been improvement. It remains the case however that at least 30% of local women do not come forward for breast cancer screening and 20% are not screened for cervical cancer. They are

exposed to heightened risk of the disease developing to an advanced stage before it is detected".