Hampshire suffers in cancer postcode lottery

11.16.50am GMT Mon 17th Dec 2007

Liz Leffman, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Meon Valley, is "deeply concerned" to learn that the 'postcode lottery' for cancer treatment across Britain means that Hampshire patients lose out.

Spending on cancer per patient by Hampshire Primary Care Trust in 2006-07 was, on average, £7,713, while, for example, Nottingham City Primary Care Trust was able to spend an average of £17,028 per patient.

Cancer patients in Hampshire get a raw deal

However, the problem is not caused by Hampshire PCT, but by the Government's lack of competence in distributing funds that correspond fairly to the number of patients the Trust has to treat.

Liz said: "Hampshire PCT is not getting enough Government money to treat the number of patients it is expected to deal with. These figures show the huge inequalities that currently exist in our health system; Government spending is clearly not following the patient.

"Hampshire PCT had to treat a total of 13,344 patients in 2006-07, while Nottingham treated just 2,128, but instead of spreading funds more equally, the Government is happy to allow one area to spend more than double the amount of another on potentially life-saving treatment.

"The Government is essentially penalising PCTs which treat a much larger number of people by giving them an inadequate slice of funding, while allowing those which deal with a significantly smaller number of patients to spend much more liberally on treatment.

"When you add to this the fact that cancer survival rates in Britain are lower than in many other European countries, Hampshire patients really are getting a raw deal

She added: "The NHS was built on the principles of having the highest quality care available to all who need it and allowing doctors to be free from red tape to focus on treating the patient.

"Under ten years of Labour, we now have an NHS which offers the highest quality care to the few, patchy care to many and leaves doctors and nurses up to their necks in paperwork and regulations."