This is my daughter Kelly, she died tragically aged 31 due to bowel cancer. Her loss has been devastating to our family. Her life expectancy was drastically cut short after her chemotherapy stopped as a direct result of COVID. Across the UK, people have had their cancer treatments impacted - so I've started this petition calling for the Government to take urgent action, before it's too late.

You may have seen our Kelly’s story featured in a recent Panorama programme called ‘Britain’s Cancer Crisis’ which showed the extent of the problem. Experts are warning that as many as 35,000 cancer patients could die unnecessarily as a result of the impact of the pandemic on cancer services.

The Government and senior NHS leaders need to react to this national tragedy in cancer services.  When we watched the Panorama programme it seemed that the powers that be were aiming to get cancer services back to normal by the end of the year! This is far too long - it is not OK to let cancer patients suffer and die. Every day of delay is a day too many.

They need to act now. Sadly it is too late for Kelly, but there’s still time to save others. We need an emergency response across all available cancer treatments with extra resources and with the same amount of energy and focus as was deployed against the virus itself.  In particular, treatments like radiotherapy need to be boosted and set free from the bureaucracy that is holding it back. 

Please sign this petition to urge the Health Secretary to boost cancer services, at all stages of the cancer pathway, to stop tens of thousands of cancer patients dying unnecessarily.

#CatchUpWithCancer #Radiotherapy4Life #BritainsCancerCrisis