Last Friday was Wear It Pink Day, where thousands of people across the country, wore pink to show their support for the UK's largest breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now. Usually we would have an event in Parliament to allow people to come together, but this year, I was confined to wearing pink for a number of Zoom calls.
With the Coronavirus pandemic, I am aware that some NHS services, including screening appointments for Breast Cancer, have been slowed down or paused to enable resources to be used in the ongoing fight against Coronavirus. Some of you have written to me with your individual cases and I will of course do my best to help in these difficult and worrying times.
I understand, from my ministerial colleagues, that NHS services have been reopening, including cancer care, and I know that as part of that, cancer teams across the country have been working extremely hard to deliver services in a safe way that does not put patients at risk of exposure to coronavirus.
I am glad to hear from the Health Secretary that the NHS has made significant strides on the backlog of people waiting for cancer treatment and I would like to thank all the cancer teams who are working so hard to ensure people get the cancer screening, diagnostics and treatment that they need, even in these difficult circumstances.
It is important that we all do our best to support the NHS by following the guidance to keep the virus down so that the NHS is not overwhelmed by covid patients and it can deliver all the essential non-covid care that people need.
Please do not hesitate to contact your GP immediately if you have any concerns and I strongly encourage anybody who receives an invitation for breast cancer screening to book an appointment.
