The King's Fund comments on the Labour Party's plans to end the cancer backlog

Commenting on the Labour Party's plans to end the cancer backlog, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, said:

‘Ending the crisis in cancer care is a bold and welcome goal, but the specific measures Labour have set out risk falling short of achieving that ambition.

‘The additional MRI and CT scanners will help diagnose more cancers sooner but won’t in themselves deliver a big leap forward in cancer care. That requires additional staff too, and it will take time for those staff to be fully trained.

‘The phased smoking ban will help many people avoid cancer, but in the short and medium term, an ageing population, improvements in cancer screening and other ways of diagnosing cancer sooner mean demand for cancer treatment is set to rise. Getting waiting times back on track will be no mean feat.'

Notes to editors

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The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.