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Mar 2021
Charities warn cancer death rate could rise due to Covid lockdown
Figures released by the NHS suggest that tens of thousands fewer people commenced treatment for cancer since the first lockdown, when compared to normal times.
The group of charities called One Cancer Voice says the NHS needs more resources, saying they want to see more staff available to diagnose and treat cancer, with increased NHS access to private facilities to “clear the backlog”.
Michelle Mitchell, head of Cancer Research UK, said “We are calling on the government to invest more money in ensuring the backlog of cancer cases is reduced and eliminated.
“We could face, in this country today, the prospect of cancer survival reducing for the first time in decades. That’s why urgent action is required by the government.”
The government says “Cancer diagnosis and treatment has remained a top priority throughout the pandemic, with 1.86m urgent referrals and over 477,000 people receiving cancer treatment between March 2020 and January 2021.
“We continue to urge people to come forward to their GP if they have symptoms. As part of our additional investment in the NHS, an extra £1bn is being used to boost diagnosis and treatment across all areas of elective care in the year ahead.”
The government says cancer treatment remains at the top of their priorities and urges people to speak to their GP if they believe they have symptoms.
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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