Brown pledges one-on-one cancer care for every patient in England and Wales
Brown pledges one-on-one cancer care
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Monday, 08, Feb 2010 11:34
By Richard James.
Gordon Brown has promised every cancer patient in England and Wales will be offered one-on-one specialist care if Labour are re-elected for a fourth in office.
Speaking at the King's Fund thinktank this morning, the prime minister said cancer care in England and Wales would be reformed to provide home treatment for every patient within five years.
The NHS is set to become one of the key battlegrounds in the coming general election with all three main parties pledging extra support for the health service.
The government believes the new measures revealed by the prime minister on Monday could result in savings of £2.5 billion in reducing hospital admissions.
Free personal care was first announced by Mr Brown at Labour's annual party conference in Brighton last year and the plans are currently being debated in parliament, although they will not come into effect until after the coming election.
The plans are part of Mr Brown's pledge to personalise the country's health care service and public services as a whole.
Cancer suffers under a Labour government will be able to undergo chemotherapy and dialysis without going to hospital as part of a reform of community healthcare drive, the prime minister claimed.
The Conservatives cautiously welcomed the plans but raised serious questions over how they would be funded.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Given that we know that Labour are planning even further cuts to NHS spending in the years ahead, I'm worried that they are not being straight with the public.
"It is very difficult to see how they will be able to fund their pledge for one-to-one nursing."
Mr Brown countered though by claiming previous reforms initiated by the government had made the new cancer care possible.
"Some will question whether we can afford these guarantees given the fiscal constraints we face so let me answer this directly," he said.
"The unparalleled investment of the last decade, together with our decision to protect the whole of the NHS budget, has put the NHS in a stronger and more resilient position than ever before."