John Baron MP welcomes one-year survival improvements at Summer Reception

John, Lynda Thomas and Steve Brine MP at the Summer Reception

MP raises £200 million Transformation Funding for Cancer Alliances with PM

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer (APPGC) recently held its fifth annual Summer Reception, which provided an opportunity to recognise those Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which have most improved their one-year cancer survival rates over the last year. The Summer Reception was well attended by figures from across the cancer community, and was addressed by John Baron MP, the Chairman of the APPGC, Lynda Thomas, the Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, and Steve Brine MP, the Minister with responsibility for Cancer.

The Summer Reception marked John’s last official outing as the Chairman of the APPGC, as he stepped down the following day after nine years at the helm. Nic Dakin MP has been elected as the new Chairman, with John remaining an Officer of the Group.

John said,

“Diagnosing cancers in their early stages gives patients the best chance of successful treatment, and is the best way of increasing survival rates. However, while our rates are improving, they still sadly lag far behind European averages.

“CCGs play a vital role in improving survival rates, and I am pleased that the APPGC’s campaigning over the years has helped to raise awareness of this issue. Performance against one-year survival rates is now in the DNA of the local NHS, and it was a pleasure to use the Reception to recognise and pay tribute to the hard work of the most-improved CCGs.”

“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.”

“Meanwhile, I continue to follow through on the APPGC’s latest report highlighting that many Cancer Alliances are yet to receive their full allocation of the £200 million of Transformation Funding. I recently had a further conversation with the Prime Minister, who is looking into this situation in more detail.”

Notes to Editors:

• Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that one-year cancer survival rates continue to improve across the country. On average, survival rates have increased from 61.2% for patients diagnosed in 2000 to 72.3% in 2015 – up slightly from 71.6% in 2014 (there is usually a lag time of two years whilst the data is collected and verified).

• In total, the 28 CCGs who were invited to the reception improved their one-year survival rate by between 1.1 and 1.5% – a great achievement.

• The full list of 28 CCGs who most improved their one-year cancer survival rates over the last year is as follows:

Barnet CCG
Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCG
Lambeth CCG
Manchester CCG
NHS St Helens CCG
Surrey Heath CCG
West Cheshire CCG
NHS Halton CCG
Vale Royal CCG
NHS East Surrey CCG
NHS Hounslow CCG
NHS Islington CCG
NHS Trafford CCG
NHS South Cheshire CCG
NHS Warrington
NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG
NHS Thurrock CCG
NHS Brent CCG
NHS West London CCG
NHS Waltham Forest CCG
NHS Portsmouth CCG
NHS Tameside and Glossop CCG
NHS South West Lincolnshire CCG
NHS Ashford CCO
NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG
NHS South Kent Coast CCG
NHS West Kent CCG
NHS Morecambe Bay CCG