The Liberal Democrats would give cancer patients a legal right to start treatment within two months of being referred, Sir Ed Davey has said.
During his first autumn conference speech as party leader, he said more quickly treating urgent cases of the disease would “boost survival rates” and cut NHS spending.
Sir Ed linked healthcare with economic growth, saying: “We can’t build the economy we need with seven million people stuck on NHS waiting lists.
“We can’t grow the economy with 2.5 million people shut out of the labour market by long-term physical and mental illness.”
The Kingston and Surbiton MP, who lost both his parents to cancer as a child, made tackling the disease the centrepiece of his keynote speech at the conference in Bournemouth.
The Lib Dems would also invest in new radiotherapy machines and better support for cancer patients and their families in a £4 billion NHS cancer treatment plan.
“Far too many people are still waiting, far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed,” Sir Ed said.
“Last year, the Government promised a new Ten-Year Cancer Plan. It was supposed to be ‘a searching new vision for how we will lead the world in cancer care’. This year – after two changes of Prime Minister and three changes of Health Secretary – that plan has been junked. Yet another casualty of all the Conservative chaos.
He added: “I am announcing our new and ambitious plan to end unacceptable cancer delays and boost survival rates.
“We will hold the Government to account for every target it misses and every patient it fails.”
Sir Ed began his speech by poking fun at the Tory government, saying “clown” is the “wrong C-word” for the Conservatives.
Abba’s Take a Chance on Me blasted from the conference hall speakers as he walked out on stage
Sir Ed recalled how he branded the Government “clowns” following the Somerton and Frome by-election earlier this year, before adding: “Clowns didn’t crash our economy and send interest rates soaring.
“Clowns didn’t let water companies make billions in profits while dumping filthy sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches.
“Clowns didn’t plunge our NHS into crisis, pushing waiting lists to record highs. Clowns didn’t waste billions of pounds - of our money - on dodgy PPE contracts.
“Clowns didn’t prop up a lying, law-breaking prime minister - and then allow him to put his cronies in the House of Lords.
“Clowns didn’t do it. The Conservatives did.
“So, let me take this opportunity to apologise unreservedly to that party member, and to the whole clowning community.
“I’m sorry. I used the wrong c-word.”
