NHS cuts may cost lives in the North East, warns Beith

9.30.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 4th May 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 many lives in the North East.

Local MP Alan Beith 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 east, over 800 people will die of the disease every year.

The Government's planned screening programme was due to start rolling out across the country this April. In a confidential policy paper published in July 2005, the Department of Health pledged to spend £12.5 million this year in providing tests.

However, in a Parliamentary Answer in March 2006, Health Minister Rosie Winterton would not confirm this budget, saying only that: "departmental budgets for 2006-7 are currently under consideration by ministers."

The continuing delays to the programme 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 over a hundred lives could be saved each year if the screening programme was rolled out in this region.

Commenting, Alan Beith 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."