THE MP for Halton is supporting Bowel Cancer UK’s End the Capacity Crisis campaign.
Derek Twigg is also calling on the Government to recruit more NHS staff to tackle long waiting times for tests that could diagnose bowel cancer – the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.
Under NHS rules patients should wait no more than six weeks for these life-saving tests, but every month on average this year a quarter of NHS hospitals in England were in breach of this target.
Mr Twigg has joined more than 5,000 people and cross party MPs in signing Bowel Cancer UK’s open letter calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Philip Hammond, and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Matt Hancock, to end the capacity crisis.
Mr Twigg said: “As the local MP, I am totally committed to ensuring that everyone referred for this life-saving test is seen in a timely manner.
“That’s why I have signed Bowel Cancer UK’s important letter urging the government to invest in more NHS staff to tackle the long waiting times and bring an end to the capacity crisis, ahead of the autumn budget.”
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