UK Government accused of breaking promises on NHS Cancer Treatment

Ministers have been accused of failing cancer patients after it emerged that three key improvements to services pledged by the coalition have been delayed.
The hold-ups, involving key aspects of the government’s 2011 cancer strategy, have prompted concern that the growing number of people developing the disease will not get the best treatment possible. The coalition has not delivered on its promise made to provide the NHS in England with 12 extra machines, called linear accelerators or linacs, which give patients high doses of radiotherapy.
The schedule for realizing David Cameron’s pledge in 2010 that all 55-year-olds in England would be offered a new test for bowel cancer has also slipped. Originally that was due to happen by 2015-16, but was later amended to “the end of 2016”. However, progress has not been as quick as hoped to allow everyone turning that age a test using a technique called flexible sigmoidoscopy, raising doubts that the NHS will be able to offer it as planned in all areas by the end of next year.
Similarly, plans to open the first two NHS centers offering proton beam therapy in 2017, first pledged in 2012 by then health secretary Andrew Lansley, are also behind schedule. The Department of Health has admitted that, while work has begun to build the £250m centers at hospitals in London and Manchester, “the first facility is due to become operational in 2018” rather than 2017.
“The pledges set out in the 2011 cancer strategy are important to improve patient outcomes, and we’re very concerned to hear of delays in their implementation. We should be striving for all patients to receive world-class treatment and have the confidence that cancer is being prioritized by the NHS,” said Sarah Woolnough, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy.
Given the increase in the number of cases of cancer expected due to the aging population, “improving early diagnosis and making sure the best treatments are available for patients must be a priority”, Woolnough added.
“David Cameron made a slew of promises to cancer patients in the early days of this government. The reality is that cancer care has got much worse on his watch and his NHS plan has failed,” said Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary.
“It is not right that thousands of people every year who could benefit from radiotherapy are missing out because the government broke its promise on buying new machines.