By Talking Health TV – 

MP highlights top-performing Huddersfield services as Government unveils £2.3bn cancer strategy

Harpreet Uppal has welcomed the launch of the Government’s new National Cancer Plan, praising the strength of cancer services already being delivered in Huddersfield.

Speaking in Parliament during a statement to the House on the publication of the plan, the Huddersfield MP highlighted the quality of care provided locally and urged Ministers to build on the area’s success.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust continues to rank among the best-performing trusts in the country for meeting cancer waiting time targets.

In her question to the Minister, Harpreet stressed the importance of using the good practice already happening in Huddersfield as a model for rolling out improvements nationwide.

Showcasing Local Innovation

Harpreet also drew attention to her recent visit to the newly opened ‘Emily Siddon’ NHS Community Diagnostic Centre at the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus.

The centre combines a diagnostic facility with a state-of-the-art training space for students and will offer MRIs, CT scans, ECGs and X-rays.

While its doors have already opened to train diagnostic radiography students, the centre is set to open to the public very soon.

Following her question in Parliament, Harpreet said: “I am so proud of what is being delivered in Huddersfield, and I want to pay tribute to all our NHS staff.

“I was pleased to hear from the Minister that the Government plan to take the best of the NHS, including the work taking place in Huddersfield, to the rest of the NHS.

“The new Emily Siddon building is the first of its kind in the country, and I am really excited for it to open fully to students and the public very soon.

“I know how much some of these measures will mean to local people and families.”

£2.3 Billion Investment and Personalised Support

The Government’s National Cancer Plan includes a £2.3 billion investment to deliver 9.5 million more tests and scans, £10 million a year to cover travel costs to and from treatment for young people with cancer, and improved bowel cancer screening to detect thousands more cases earlier.

Under the plan, every patient will receive a Personalised Cancer Plan, extending beyond treatment and diagnosis to address the wider impact of cancer on their lives.

This will include mental health support, treatment, advice on returning to work, and guidance at the end of the treatment journey.

The strategy will also introduce Neighbourhood Care Leads who, by 2035, will be responsible for joining up services for individuals, aiming to ensure patients are no longer passed from pillar to post.

“Patients Are the Absolute Focus”

Medical Director at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Neeraj Bhasin, praised the dedication of local teams. He said: “Our patients are the absolute focus of what our cancer teams do. The teams are dedicated to making sure people get high-quality care in a timely way to give the best possible outcomes.

“Clinical colleagues, including Cancer Nurse Specialists, Allied Health Professionals, cancer navigators and pathway trackers, work in partnership with our patients to give a prompt diagnosis, quicker treatment, and ongoing support, in a compassionate and personalised way.

“They have redesigned pathways, introduced new diagnostic models and straight-to-test initiatives, as well as decision support tools to help clinicians make faster, better-informed decisions.

“It is their fantastic work which means that we are consistently one of the top performing Trusts for cancer care.

“They continue to develop the way we deliver care to best support our patients, such as bringing diagnostic testing closer to home in the community, through our new Southgate Community Diagnostic Centre in Huddersfield.”

The full National Cancer Plan for England is available on the Government’s website.