Demanding faster treatment for pancreatic cancer

Nicholas Dakin Excerpts

Monday 4th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

I rise to present a petition on behalf of the people of the United Kingdom demanding faster treatment for pancreatic cancer. I pay tribute to all those who have signed the petition, and particularly those who presented it to Downing Street earlier today, including the family of Erika Vincent, who sadly passed away while building the petition to its current size.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,

Declares that the Government’s 62-day target for cancer treatment is not suitable for pancreatic cancer, where 1 in 4 pancreatic cancer patients will have passed away within one month of diagnosis and 3 in 4 within one year of diagnosis, making it the deadliest common cancer; further notes the efforts of Erika Vincent who championed a campaign for faster pancreatic cancer treatment, and who sadly passed away last month shortly before her petition reached a milestone 100,000 signatories and further that like Erika, we demand faster treatment and know that this is readily possible.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to set an ambition to treat people with pancreatic cancer within 20 days of diagnosis, by 2024.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002431]