This is my daughter Kelly. She died tragically, aged 31, due to bowel cancer. Her loss has been devastating to our family and her life expectancy was drastically cut short after her chemotherapy stopped as a direct result of COVID. The pandemic may be over, but waits for treatment continue. Last year saw some of the longest waits for treatment on record and we know that around 4 in 10 cancer patients are not getting treatment on time. In total, 225,000 people have waited too long since 2020.

These waits threaten lives. Every four-week delay in treatment increases the risk of death by 10%. You may have seen our Kelly’s story featured in a Panorama programme called ‘Britain’s Cancer Crisis’ which showed the extent of the problem. Experts warned then that 35,000 cancer patients could die unnecessarily as a result of the impact of the pandemic on cancer services.

The Government and senior NHS leaders need to react to this national tragedy in cancer services.  It is not OK to let cancer patients suffer and die. Every day of delay is a day too many.

Sadly it is too late for Kelly, but there’s still time to save others. We need an emergency response across all available cancer treatments with extra resources and with the same amount of energy and focus as was deployed against COVID. In particular, treatments like radiotherapy need to be boosted and set free from the bureaucracy that is holding it back. 

Please sign this petition to urge the Health Secretary to boost cancer services, at all stages of the cancer pathway, to stop tens of thousands of cancer patients dying unnecessarily.

#CatchUpWithCancer