NHS Cuts Could Cost Hundreds of Lives in Manchester

10.50.03pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 11th Apr 2006

Leaked Department of Health documents seen by the Liberal Democrats suggest that delays to the promised National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme are likely to cost hundreds of lives in the North West.

Local Manchester Withington MP John Leech has signed a cross-party Early Day Motion, challenging Ministers to "come clean" and ensure that the programme is up and running as soon as possible.

Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, after lung cancer. In the North West, about 2,011 people will die of the disease every year.

Continuing delays to the Government's planned screening programme - which was due to begin this month - are costing hundreds of lives. Bowel cancer is fatal for about half of those who contract it, but research suggests that screening can reduce the mortality rate by 15%. This means that 302 lives could be saved each year if the screening programme was rolled out in this region.

Commenting, John Leech MP said:

"Ministers have been assuring us that NHS cuts won't affect the front line treatment of patients. This is clearly wrong."

"It is time that the Department of Health comes clean over the extent of the crisis affecting the NHS."

"The Government must ensure that the planned screening programme is begun without further delay, and release the necessary funds as a matter of urgency, as hundreds of lives are at risk."

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