Cancer treatment and care is a big issue at this election, as it should be, and it is important that we know the facts.

As part of their Cross Cancer Out campaign Cancer Research UK has published a fantastic tool where you can go and find out how cancer incidence, diagnosis, treatment and survival in your area compare to national averages. Go to http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/local-cancer-statistics/ and put in your postcode to see how things are in your area.

Living where I do in the High Peak our cancer care is pretty much in line with national averages. The positive exceptions being that a higher than average number of:

– people get treatment both within 31 days and 62 days of diagnosis.

– people get tested diagnostically, and specifically for bowel cancer, within 6 weeks.

– women make use of cervical and breast cancer screening services, both young and old.

– people make use of bowel cancer screening services and quitting smoking support services.

Additionally other positives are that:

– a lower than average number of people develop prostate cancer.

– lung cancer mortality rates are lower than average.

– we are less obese than average.

Despite the fact that there are a few negatives, a higher than average number of people have oesophageal cancer and a lower than average number of girls have the HPV vaccination, over all we are in a positive position in the High Peak with regards to cancer care.

Much more needs to be done to combat cancer, but we appear to have got ourselves into a good position ready to take the fight to cancer.

Stephen Worrall has today agreed to become an ‘Arthritis Champion’, supporting Arthritis Research UK in their efforts to find a cure for arthritis while calling for policy change to prevent its onset and transform the lives of people that have musculoskeletal conditions.

Musculoskeletal conditions include osteoarthritis, back pain and osteoporosis. People with these conditions often experience a great deal of pain and a loss of mobility. Over 10 million people in the UK have a musculoskeletal condition.

By agreeing to become an Arthritis Champion, Stephen has pledged to:

• campaign to make musculoskeletal conditions a public health priority
• fight to ensure that people with arthritis get high-quality care at the time that they need it
• champion the UK’s leadership role in medical research.

Speaking about the manifesto, Stephen said, “I am delighted to become an Arthritis Champion. Musculoskeletal conditions affect a huge number of people and are a significant cause of disability in the UK. These are painful conditions which can have a massive impact on every aspect of people’s lives. We need to see change that creates the best possible policy environment in which to prevent and cure these conditions. We also need an urgent transformation of the services available to those that are living with these conditions now.”

Dr Liam O’Toole, chief executive officer of Arthritis Research UK, said, “I’m delighted that Stephen has become an Arthritis Champion. We need their help to champion the needs of people with arthritis both nationally and locally.

“Our Arthritis Research UK manifesto sets out an exciting vision for the future of musculoskeletal conditions. We are calling for policy changes to support the prevention, transformation and cure of musculoskeletal conditions. There is much that can be done: but we can’t do it alone. We need to work in partnership to put the needs of people with arthritis on the political agenda and transform the lives of people living with arthritis.”

High Peak Liberal Democrat election candidate Stephen Worrall is backing an appeal to help save the lives of more people with cancer in the constituency and across the UK.

With the countdown to the General Election under way, the Liberal Democrat party candidate has lent his support to Cancer Research UK’s ‘Cross Cancer Out’ campaign.

Playing on the idea of a ballot paper, the campaign asks election candidates to help ‘Cross Cancer Out’ by backing a raft of vital measures to ensure cancer patients are diagnosed much earlier and have greater access to the best possible treatments.

Thanks to research, survival rates have doubled in the UK in the last forty years. But with more and more people being diagnosed, Cancer Research UK says determined political action is urgently needed to save more lives.

Stephen Worrall PPC for High Peak said: “We must not underestimate the devastating impact that cancer will have on families in High Peak now and in the future. The good news is cutting-edge research carried out by charities like Cancer Research UK is turning the tables on the disease, but it is clear there is a critical role for politicians to play in helping to detect cancer earlier and bring innovative new treatments to patients faster.

“The political drive to beat cancer must match the pace of progress in research. That’s why I’m backing the ‘Cross Cancer Out’ campaign and joining the fight to beat cancer sooner.”

Sarah Woolnough, Executive Director of Policy and Information at Cancer Research UK said: “We know the earlier patients can be diagnosed and access the treatments they need, the more lives will be saved.

“The next Government’s decisions will affect how fast and how far we progress in the next five years, towards our goal of beating the disease. It is a big ambition but we know with the right political support we will get there sooner – so we’re asking all local election candidates to make a commitment to ‘Cross Cancer Out’ and help ensure no-one’s life is cut short by the disease.”

For more information and ways to get involved in the campaign, visit cruk.org/crosscancerout or join the conversation on twitter #CrossCancerOut.

High Peak Liberal Democrat PPC Stephen Worrall is supporting the campaign to improve awareness and support for MS sufferers.

Over 100,000 people in the UK live with MS, a neurological condition that affects roughly three times as many women as men.It’s essential that they have timely access to the right treatment, care and support, no matter where they live. Unfortunately, this is not happening. Awareness of the condition is abysmally low, and for people with MS, accessing the right support can be a daily battle.

Stephen commented “I am proud to be standing up for people affected by MS in the High Peak and elsewhere. A family member of mine suffers from, thankfully currently only mild, MS so it is a campaign I can relate to personally”.

In Europe, just Poland and Romania have lower access to disease modifying treatments for MS than the UK. Between 2008 and 2013, over 90,000 disabled people lost access to care and support. More than a third of people with MS have been incorrectly placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). People in this group receive less money, the threat of and many have this benefit removed after a year.

Stephen commented further “I find it particularly shocking that in Europe only Poland and Romania have lower access to disease modifying treatments for MS than the UK, and the huge number of MS sufferers (and those with other disabilities) who have lost access to care and support is a disgrace.”

“If elected I would work to give MS a voice, fight for people with MS to access the care they need when they need it, fight to ensure that assessments for disability benefits work for people with MS and work to ensure that people with MS can access the right treatment at the right time.”

Stephen commented “Like many of you I find it deeply concerning that each winter in this country one older person dies every seven minutes from the cold weather and that many more become seriously ill due to living in a cold home. In fact I would go so far as to say it is a disgrace.”

“That is why I can confirm that I have contacted the party to call on them to make “home energy efficiency an infrastructure investment priority in its manifesto and commit to bringing at least 2 million low income homes up to EPC Band C by 2020 and all 6 million low income homes up to this standard by 2025”.

High Peak Liberal Democrat PPC Stephen Worrall has joined the fight to “Cross Cancer Out”.

Cancer Research UK are campaigning to improve UK cancer survival to be the best in the world,  to obtain determined political action in the next Parliament to improve early diagnosis and access to the best, innovative and evidence-based treatments for all cancer patients. They are specifically calling for:

• Continued support for campaigns to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer;
• A commitment to increase participation in the national bowel cancer screening programme;
• Equal access to innovative radiotherapy, surgery and effective cancer drugs, including drugs targeted to patients’ tumours.

Stephen commented “As an individual I have experienced the sadness of seeing loved ones lost to cancer as well as the sheer relief and joy that only a loved one being given “the all clear” can give you, and thanks to the work Cancer Research UK and others have done more people than ever are surviving cancer. It is vital that more and more people continue to survive cancer and that’s why I am supporting Cancer Research UK’s campaign to “Cross Cancer Out”.

High Peak Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Stephen Worrall has backed calls for better provision of support for local people in mental health crisis. Mind, the mental health charity, is calling for local services to deliver on their promise to improve the support for people who are suicidal, self-harming or in psychosis.

Last year, national and local governments, and leaders of key services in England, including health, police, and voluntary organisations, signed the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat, an agreement that sets national standards for the care of people in mental health crisis.

The Concordat aims to make sure that no matter where someone turns, they get the help they need and don’t fall through the cracks between different services. Key organisations in Derbyshire have since come together to sign their own local declaration agreeing to achieve the Concordat standards and are now preparing a local action plan to deliver them.

Stephen said “I am supporting Mind’s campaign to improve crisis care and will be monitoring progress on our local Concordat declaration to make sure that good intentions are made a reality for everyone trying to access crisis care.”

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said: “In a mental health crisis, your mind is at melting point. You may experience extreme anxiety, have suicidal thoughts or even a psychotic episode. It can happen to anyone. When you’re in crisis you need compassion and understanding, no matter who you turn to for help – whether it’s health and ambulance services, the police, social care or voluntary organisations.

“Signing a local Concordat is the first step in improving services but we need to see these good intentions translated into better services for everyone in crisis. We need the next government, and the next set of MPs, to provide clear leadership and resources to make sure the Concordat’s standards are achieved and local action plans delivered so that excellent crisis care is available everywhere.”

More information about the Concordat, including details about the local area’s declaration, can be found at www.crisiscareconcordat.co.uk

Notes to editor

About Mind:

• Please note that Mind is not an acronym and should be set in title case. www.mind.org.uk
• Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am – 6pm, Monday – Friday)
• Please contact the Mind Media Team for interviews or further information on 0208 522 1743. For out of hours support please call 07850 788514 or email the media team on media@mind.org.uk.

Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat: the joint statement

We commit to work together to improve the system of care and support so people in crisis because of a mental health condition are kept safe and helped to find the support they need – whatever the circumstances in which they first need help – and from whichever service they turn to first.

We will work together, and with local organisations, to prevent crises happening whenever possible through prevention and early intervention. We will make sure we meet the needs of vulnerable people in urgent situations. We will strive to make sure that all relevant public services support someone who appears to have a mental health problem to move towards recovery.

Jointly, we hold ourselves accountable for enabling this commitment to be delivered across England.