Sharon Hodgson MP: Saving lives requires work but this Labour Government has already rolled up its sleeves – and we are ready

In light of this, yesterday I attended an event hosted by the wonderful Estee Lauder Company in Parliament as part of their 2024 Breast Cancer Campaign. Their work to empower women, to educate us on breast health and to increase awareness is truly remarkable.

But of course the conversation should not be confined to 28 days – after 14 years of underfunding and record waiting lists thanks to successive Tory governments, it is vital that our dedication to tackle the root causes of late diagnosis and dismissal exceeds the scale of a mere month.

Shockingly, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally – representing as much as a quarter of all cancers that occur in women every year. With its disproportionate impact on women, it is absolutely essential that women everywhere are aware of the signs and are empowered to reach out to medical professionals if they have any concerns.

It is no exaggeration to say that our NHS is on its knees. At the end of March 2024, NHS waiting lists were at a staggering 7.5 million – with an estimated 6.3 million individuals waiting for elective NHS care. To improve survival rates amongst breast cancer patients, we need diagnosis to be earlier and treatment to be quicker.

That is why I am proud to be part of a Government that has a credible plan to invest in our NHS, reduce waiting lists and deliver more appointments so that it is a service that is fit to face up to this challenge. This Labour government has committed to 40,000 new NHS appointments every week and to double the number of cancer scanners. Our NHS is in Labour’s DNA – the 1945 Labour Government founded our National Health Service, the last Labour Government got waiting lists down significantly, and the 2024 Labour Government will get them down once again and save our NHS.

Making appointments more readily available must go hand-in-hand with an approach that sees an increase in the confidence women hold in healthcare professionals. To catch the signs early not only must women seek medical advice - they must be taken seriously when they do. The ‘gender-health gap’ statistically shows that women often feel dismissed by healthcare professionals which means they are less likely to reach out for help. This Labour Government has an ambitious mission to halve violence against women and girls and part of that plan will involve pulling misogyny and sexism out by their roots in all areas of society – including in healthcare. This will be an essential aspect of tackling late diagnosis and encouraging women to come forward when something doesn’t feel right.

Saving lives requires work, but this Labour Government has already rolled up their sleeves – and we are ready.