Worrying new figures reveal cancer care unfairness
Kevin Davis, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Yeovil, voiced his serious concern following the publication of new figures which reveal huge variations in the amount spent on cancer patients in different areas of the country.
The new statistics reveal huge discrepancies in funding between Primary Care Trust areas: each cancer sufferer in Yeovil receives just £6,308 a year – by contrast, cancer sufferers in Nottingham receive £17,028 a year. Somerset Primary Care Trust is the 11th worst funded area of the country, out of 152 PCT’s.
The figures may help to explain not only why inequalities in cancer death rates have widened during Labour’s ten years in power, but also why access to drugs for the treatment of cancer varies so much across the country.
Kevin Davis said:
“The Labour Government’s own statistics have revealed a huge disparity in funding for cancer services. I very much value the hard work by doctors and nurses in Yeovil, but it is being hampered by Whitehall officials who are distributing health funding across the country unfairly.
“Cancer patients cannot afford Ministers mismanaging the NHS, taking no account of the patients needs, and creating a two-tier service. Unequal access to cancer care and treatment which is so apparent in various parts of the country cannot be tackled while there are such large variations in the funding for it.”
Update: article in Somerset News
4 Comments
December 31, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I had no idea that Somerset was so far down the scale in this respect, could you let me have a link to the statistics?
January 3, 2008 at 10:19 am
I will try and remember to link to the full figures when I get a chance.
January 6, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I have tried to send you the figures but it appears your emeal address is wrong.
January 7, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Sorry Kevin I must have been have a funny five minutes when I typed my details in, I also had my blog address wrong. Just swap .com for .co.uk and it will work.
Thanks