I know first-hand the life-saving impact of early cancer diagnosis and quick access to treatment.

However, it is with a heavy heart that we must confront the stark reality of a failing cancer care system after 13 years of Conservative neglect. The figures speak for themselves: compared to when Labour left office in 2010, there has been a shocking increase of almost 35,000 people per month who are forced to wait longer than two weeks to see a hospital doctor after their GP suspects cancer. This amounts to nearly 420,000 additional people enduring prolonged uncertainty this year alone, compared to when the Tories first assumed power.

While the number of cancer referrals has risen, the proportion of patients seen within two weeks for all types of cancer has declined compared to 2010. Moreover, over 62,000 more cancer patients will wait over two months to begin treatment this year compared to a decade ago.

The Conservative Party will inevitably try to deflect blame onto the COVID-19, but the reality is that on the eve of the pandemic, there were already unacceptable delays in patient care. When Labour relinquished power in May 2010, 3,135 patients had waited over two weeks to see a hospital cancer specialist. In January 2020, that number skyrocketed to a staggering 19,035—a sixfold increase.

The same trend persists when it comes to treatment starts. In May 2010, 996 individuals were waiting over two months to begin their cancer treatment. By February 2020, before the pandemic gripped the nation, that figure had soared to 3,316. There is no excuse for delays when a patient’s life hangs in the balance.

Labour Health Mission understands the vital importance of early intervention in cancer care. Survival rates for cancer diagnosed at stage one or two is a hopeful 81%. However, once it reaches stages three or four, that figure plummets to a mere 26%. The implications are clear, early diagnosis and treatment save lives.

The British public also recognises the gravity of the situation, as the state of the NHS has forced an increasing number of individuals to resort to private healthcare. In just four years, the proportion of people using private healthcare has risen from one in ten to one in seven. Disturbingly, last year alone, 272,000 individuals dipped into their own pockets to pay for necessary treatments—a substantial increase from 199,000 in 2019.

The Tories have failed to learn the lessons from the past, and as they did under Thatcher and Major, now under Rishi Sunak and his predecessors, they continue to ignore the escalating waiting lists and the desperate cries for help from cancer patients. The Government scrapped a national cancer plan before its publication, preside over chronic understaffing within the NHS, and are failing to to restore hospital capacity to pre-pandemic levels. This pattern of mismanagement and neglect is an unconscionable failure that is costing lives.

It will once again fall to a Labour Government to rescue the NHS after more than a decade of Tory neglect. Our Health Mission offers a different future for cancer care, with an additional 7,500 doctors and 10,000 nurses each year, funded by abolishing the non-dom tax status; spare capacity within the private sector will be used reduce the NHS backlog and comprehensive cancer care reforms will shift focus towards early diagnosis, intervention, and prevention.

Labour will ensure that 75% of all cancers are diagnosed at stage one or two, improving cancer outcomes, and saving lives.

A Labour government will hit all NHS cancer waiting time and early diagnosis targets within five years, offering hope to the 1 in 2 of us that will experience it in our life times. Labour’s Health Mission is a vision we can all rally behind, one that prioritises the health and well-being of all our family and friends when they need it most.

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For more information on Labour’s Five Missions For A Better Britain, please visit: https://labour.org.uk/missions/