John Baron MP responds to NHS ‘OFSTED’ cancer ratings

MP: ratings show CCGs must improve earlier diagnosis

Yesterday the first ‘OFSTED’-style ratings for each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) were published, setting out how each CCG is faring on cancer care and treatment in their area. According to the ratings, 86% of CCGs are letting down patients through late diagnosis, delayed treatment and poor survival rates.

As the Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer (APPGC), John Baron MP has long campaigned for improvements in earlier diagnosis, particularly at a local level, as late diagnosis makes for poor survival rates. He recently wrote an article on this topic [https://goo.gl/dXHzc2], and is currently organising the APPGC’s annual ‘Britain Against Cancer’ conference, held this year on 6th December.

John said,

“These figures confirm the importance of focusing on earlier diagnosis, and the APPGC is pleased these new ratings retain a strong focus on this area. Catching cancers in their early stages gives patients the best chance of successful treatment, and is the best way of increasing survival rates, which sadly lag far behind European averages. In Sweden, around 82% of cancer patients survive at least one year from diagnosis, whereas in England the figure is around 70%.”

“The ratings show that there remains much work to be done by CCGs to improve cancer care. The APPGC will continue to monitor progress in this area, and will keep up the campaign for a determined focus on earlier diagnosis as a means of improving survival rates.”