MPs’ letter to send to the Health Secretary
In the next five years, pancreatic cancer will overtake breast cancer as the fourth biggest cancer killer in the UK. Without urgent action, 50,000 more lives will be lost to the deadliest common cancer during this Parliament.
Please write to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to ask him what action the new Government will take to improve outcomes for people affected by pancreatic cancer.
Dear Secretary of State,
I hope this letter finds you very well.
I am writing to you on behalf of my constituents, who have contacted me to set out the urgent need to improve pancreatic cancer outcomes.
As I’m sure you are aware, pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer, with a five-year survival rate of only 7%. These survival rates have remained stubbornly low for decades and successive Governments have failed to take action to address this.
The next five years are crucial in the challenge of taking on pancreatic cancer. Without urgent action in this Parliament, 50,000 more people will die from this devastating disease by 2029. It is also projected that pancreatic cancer will overtake breast cancer as the fourth biggest cancer killer during this time.
Ahead of the election, Pancreatic Cancer UK and over 63,000 of their supporters wrote to party leaders with three key recommendations for this new Government:
- Investing at least £35m a year into pancreatic cancer research to bring about breakthroughs in early diagnosis and new treatments.
- Treating pancreatic cancer as an emergency, so everyone can get diagnosed within 21 days.
- Doubling the number of people getting potentially life-saving treatment within 21 days of diagnosis.
I write to ask what plans your department has to ensure that over the course of this Parliament, we can improve the situation for people affected by pancreatic cancer? This is a cause which a number of my constituents have raised concerns about, and I would greatly appreciate being able to share with them the steps you intend to take.
Should you wish to receive any further information about how you and your department can improve pancreatic cancer outcomes, the policy team at Pancreatic Cancer UK would be happy to support this. Please contact policy@pancreaticcancer.org.uk to arrange this. They would also be happy to meet with you at your earliest convenience.
Thank you very much in advance, and I look forward to receiving your response.
Best wishes,
[MP NAME]
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