Crisis in cancer care: Third of patients facing two month waits for treatment
Lib Dems call for urgent plan to improve cancer care after NHS targets missed in worst ever performance
Over 2,000 people are missing out on a timely diagnosis every day while 15,000 are left waiting two months or more to start treatment
Ministers accused of "sitting on their hands" while people are being left in pain
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to come forward with an urgent strategy to improve cancer care, after new statistics revealed that NHS England has yet again missed all four of its major targets for cancer waiting times.
Analysis by the party shows that from January to March 2022, nearly 150,000 people waited longer than two weeks to see a consultant after an urgent referral from their GP, or an average of 1,600 per day.
It means only 78% of people saw a consultant within two weeks of a GP referral, way below the NHS target of 93%.
The figures also show that almost 200,000 or 29.5% of people waited longer than 28 days to get a cancer diagnosis from their specialist after an urgent referral from a GP. This means the target of 75% of people getting their diagnosis within this time was missed and that the equivalent of over 2,000 people per day missed out on a timely diagnosis.
Over 6,000 (7.7%) patients waited a month or more to begin their first treatment after a decision to treat the cancer, almost double the 4% target.
Meanwhile, 15,000 or over one third of people waited two months or more to start cancer treatment after a referral from their GP. This means a target of 85% of people starting treatment within that period is being badly missed by 21 points.
It comes after no reference was made to improving cancer care in last week's Queen's Speech. Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron has tabled an amendment to the Queen's Speech, calling for a comprehensive strategy to be put forward on how the Government plans to meet a commitment for 80% of patients to be seen within two months by 2023. The party is also calling for the Government to hire more health staff, particularly specialist cancer nurses.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said:
"This Conservative Government has no real plan to fix the crisis in cancer waiting times. Ministers are sitting on their hands while people are being left in pain, or have to watch their loved ones suffering.
"The Conservatives have taken the NHS for granted for years and have their heads in the sand over huge staff shortages. The Queen's Speech didn't mention cancer care and Boris Johnson hasn't even brought forward any new legislation to tackle this mess.
"He needs to bring forward a plan now - people bravely battling cancer deserve far better than being abandoned by a Government that doesn't do enough to ease their burden."
Here we find ourselves again. It is now coming up on two years since the Conservatives' first threatened to break international law over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Then, this time last year, we heard the continued threats over Article 16 which threatened to overshadow the G7 summit in Cornwall. And now, we are awaiting a rumoured announcement from the Foreign Secretary regarding legislation which will, reportedly, unilaterally rip up the Protocol.
Emergency budget: £38m tax bill for every day of inaction
Every day without an emergency budget costs the squeezed-middle £38 million extra in taxes
Households pay extra £1.6 million in tax for every hour Parliament debates Queen's Speech
Lib Dem MP calls the debate "the most expensive waste of time by Parliament I have ever known"
Analysis by the Liberal Democrats has found the additional tax hikes introduced by this Conservative Government is costing households £38 million a day.
The figures come as Michael Gove denied the Government would be introducing an Emergency Budget this week despite hints from the Prime Minister in Parliament yesterday.
Today, Parliament will be debating the Queen's Speech, yet hard-pressed families will be forking out an extra £1.6 million per hour in tax hikes. These tax increases include the hit from National Insurance Contributions increasing and the Government freezing the income tax thresholds, which impacts the squeezed-middle.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for an Emergency Budget to slash VAT which would save the average family £600 a year.
Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said:
"The squeezed-middle are drowning in tax hikes and spiralling energy bills yet Rishi Sunak is nowhere to be found.
"Imagine watching the news today and seeing MPs talk for hours on end about a bunch of new laws that will not save you a single penny. This is the most expensive waste of Parliament's time I have ever known. Every second that ticks by ratchets up the tax bills for hard-pressed families.
"Now is the time for an emergency budget to slash taxes and save hard-pressed families on the brink. Dark clouds are looming over our economy and every day of inaction from this Chancellor will force more people to make the heartbreaking decision between heating and eating."
Since Spring Conference, most members will have been focused on the Local Elections which took place in many parts of the country - and rightly so: the hard work has paid off, with some truly fantastic gains made from both the Conservatives and Labour. Particular mention should go to our amazing Chief Steward at Conference, Mike Ross, who is now the Leader of Hull Council! Massive congratulations to Mike and the whole team.
The Liberal Democrats have selected Cllr Sarah Dyke as their candidate for the Somerton and Frome constituency.
Sarah lives in the constituency and is from a Somerset farming family which can be traced back over 250 years to the local area. Sarah worked in the agricultural industry and is Portfolio Holder for the Environment on South Somerset District Council where she is spearheading rewilding programmes, investment in electric vehicle charging points and the council's zero-carbon targets.
Liberal Democrats won right across the country in May's local elections with successes from the Scottish Highlands to Somerset, from Kingston-Upon-Thames to Kingston-Upon-Hull, from Powys to St Albans.
Liberal Democrats elected 868 Councillors, a net gain of 224!
We are winning again because we are listening to people. Because we hear their concerns and their frustration. Because we are standing up for our values, standing up for our communities, and fighting for a fair deal.
The Federal Board will be holding another surgery, a chance to come along and ask us your questions, on Monday 16th of May. You can register to join us here!
Interested in our plans for Tiverton and Honiton? Want to know drove success in the Local Elections? Have an idea for how we can improve? This is an opportunity to talk to us.
The Government has promised a £150 one-off Council Tax rebate for households living in band A-D properties. It will be paid in May to offset the latest Council Tax increases.
After the extra £53 added to this year's figure, band A taxpayers will benefit by £1.87 per week. For band D it will be £1.52 per week.
Council tax payments made by Direct Debit will have the rebate paid direct to bank accounts. Nearly 14,000 households in Newark and Sherwood who pay by other means will need to make a claim to the District Council. District Councillors Malcolm Brock and Peter Harris will be pressing the Council to make sure no Council Tax payers miss out.
As the rising cost of living really begins to bite, a tax increase is the last thing needed. Yet Council tax has risen by 3.7 percent adding £79 to band D bills.
Nearly 60 percent of the increase will be added to the social care levy. The Conservative Government introduced the levy in 2016 to provide extra funding for local social care. It now adds £197 to band D Council Tax.
The County Council has finally realised that its road maintenance plan is no longer working. In the last five years a mind boggling 476,043 potholes have been filled in Nottinghamshire. No wonder that our county has been declared the pothole capital of the UK. Instead of endlessly filling one pothole after another, there will be repairs to larger sections of the road, aiming to provide a longer lasting solution.
Newark and Sherwood Lib Dems are calling on N&S District Council to support the Local Electricity Bill. This would empower our community to buy and sell locally generated electricity. Local Lib Dem, Keith Melton, is leading the campaign to support the Bill. Keith says, "Putin`s War of Aggression has shown us that we need to move away from our addiction to fossil fuels for strategic reasons in addition to the need to limit global overheating!"
After two failed attempts at creating a Unitary Authority for Nottinghamshire, the County Council promised to work more closely with the nine Borough and District Councils. Better local services were promised by devolving and combining responsibilities.
Now, in a complete "U"turn, the County Council along with Nottingham, Derby and Derbyshire Councils have submitted a confidential and restricted bid to create a vast East Midlands Combined Authority. It follows the Governments own devolution plans publishes in February. This offered more local powers for Healthcare, transport, Education and Planning. However to get those powers a new combined authority would have to be created along with a directly elected Mayor. Borough and District Councils would no longer have any powers but could expect to be consulted.
Rural Crime is a huge issue that affects our most vulnerable and isolated communities. The latest four year Police and Crime Plan for Nottinghamshire recognises that rural crime is often overlooked with communities like ours losing trust in the police. The Plan promises to "level up" the response to rural crime.
Liberal Democrats
