Cancer Research UK takes centre stage at the party conference season

Cancer Research UK helped to ensure that cancer was firmly on the political agenda during the party conference season. We welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement on speedier access to diagnostic tests for cancer so that patients suspected of having cancer will be tested within one week of seeing their GP.

Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK spoke on the main stage during the Conservative party conference. He outlined the progress that has been made in tackling cancer, the challenges ahead and our manifesto vision of making cancer outcomes amongst the best in Europe.

An exclusive interview between the Prime Minister and Harpal Kumar also featured on the Science Update blog during party conference season.

At each party conference we hosted a joint fringe event dedicated to cancer with Macmillan Cancer Support and Breast Cancer Care, entitled ‘One in three: Tackling cancer is an election issue’. We were joined by the Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP at the Labour conference, and Shadow Health Ministers Mark Simmonds MP and Sandra Gidley MP at the Conservative and Liberal Democrat conferences respectively.

As part of the fringe event we screened ‘vox-pop’ videos to give greater insight into the different aspects of the cancer journey. One of our ‘vox-pops’ featured a Cancer Research UK funded researcher, Professor Jane Wardle of University College London, who spoke about the importance of prevention and early awareness and diagnosis. 

During the party conference season we met with a number of politicians from across the political spectrum Cancer Research UK also hosted Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley MP and Mark Simmonds MP on a visit to the Paterson Institute and our new chemotherapy centre on the Christie site in Manchester, which is currently under construction. 

Download Cancer Research UK’s manifesto and guide to ‘How to campaign with confidence about cancer’