Brake signs up to make cancer money count for patients

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Jun 2004

Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington recently renewed his support for Macmillan Cancer Relief's "Get It Spent Where It's Meant" campaign by backing an all-party parliamentary petition calling on the Government to get cancer money spent where it's meant.

More than 100 MPs, from all parties, have already pledged to raise Macmillan's campaign with their local NHS. EDM 926 calls on Government to do its bit. Macmillan wants Government to formally respond to its four key campaign recommendations, based on a survey of the NHS carried out with the help of MPs and launched at a parliamentary reception last November. The survey findings showed a lack of transparency, widespread inconsistencies in how the money is allocated and tracked, poor investment in cancer services that improve the patient's experience and inadequate provision for meaningful patient involvement. Macmillan also hopes the new body for auditing healthcare - CHAI (Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection) will monitor cancer spending as a top priority.

Tom Brake comments:

"I was delighted to sign a parliamentary petition supporting Macmillan Cancer Relief's Get It Spent Where It's Meant campaign. It's really important that everything possible is done to get cancer money through to front line services that improve the patient's quality of life. I hope the new Healthcare Commission will help the NHS and Government to develop its resource tracking so that my constituents can be sure cancer services money is getting spent where it's meant."

Macmillan's Get It Spent Where It's Meant campaign paper called for Government to:

• Commit to improving the way the NHS tracks investment in cancer services, institute a review and report its recommendations to Parliament within an agreed timeframe

• Develop and introduce a mechanism for the routine and consistent tracking of investment in cancer services and progress made in improving the patient's experience

• Require the NHS to publicise locally its plans for cancer services and how the investment is being spent

• Ensure meaningful service user involvement in planning and tracking investment in cancer services at all levels and measure outcomes through a new, improved National Cancer Patients' Survey