In the last fortnight I sponsored an event hosted by Cancer Research UK in Parliament which aimed to promote awareness of cancer as well as fundraising towards new cancer treatments. I am delighted to say that nearly 100 MPs of all parties attended the event, including the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care and the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation.
I also spoke to a number of cancer scientific researchers and the Cancer Research UK team on the details of their work and how those in Parliament can help assist their operations.
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a significant backlog in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers, and I commend the work of Cancer Research UK in promoting awareness of the symptoms and causes of cancer and funding towards researching treatments, and ultimately a long-term cure for cancer.
You can read more about their brilliant work, and make donations, via the following link: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/
I welcome the prominence given to cancer care in the NHS long-term plan and the £250 million announced by the Government to increase bed capacity in the NHS to help treat cancer patients.
Readers may recall I previously lobbied for the Da Vinci X cancer robot for Northampton General Hospital, which you may have read about in a prior newsletter and can read more about here: https://www.michaelellis.co.uk/news/michael-hails-new-robot-cancer-machine-northampton-general-hospital
Events in collaboration with charities in Parliament such as this Cancer Research event provide a key insight into the great work of organisations like Cancer Research UK and their collaboration with the Government in working to eradicate cancer, which of course has impacted millions of families across the country. I was very happy to have had the opportunity to show my support for this laudable goal.
(Photo: Michael Ellis MP with George Freeman MP (Minister for Science and Research) and Will Quince MP (Minister of State for Health) at the Cancer Research UK event Michael sponsored in Parliament)