A Buckinghamshire MP has recently been elected as the new chairman of a group to help cancer patients.
Greg Smith was appointed the All Party Political Group chair for Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies on May 17, in their inaugural meeting to officially form the group.
The group has been formed to help drive awareness of Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies (MICT) and ensure that eligible patients from across the UK can have timely access to the treatments.
Chair of the APPG for MICT and MP for Buckingham, Greg Smith said: “I am very happy to have been elected Chair of the All Party Political Group for Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies.
READ MORE: One for your furry friends - Puppy cafe to stop off in Wycombe this summer
Minimally Invasive Therapies have the potential to improve the lives of cancer patients throughout the country and I am looking forward to learning more about the role they can play in supporting people diagnosed with the disease.
This is an important Group that brings together key interest groups from across the cancer therapy field and I am looking forward to working with Ministers to deliver real change in the quality of treatments available for cancer patients.”
A key objective of the group is to increase awareness amongst patients and clinicians, whilst identifying how the treatments could be incorporated into Cancer Patient Pathways.
The meeting, which took place virtually, also included a short overview of minimally invasive treatments from both the perspective of a clinician and a patient.
First, Professor Hashim Ahmed, Professor, and Chair of Urology and Consultant Urological Surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust spoke to the Group on the benefits of minimally invasive therapies.
Professor Ahmed also noted that minimally effective cancer treatments work without cuts and radiation.
The group then agreed to start working on a Summer Inquiry into access of treatments and barriers in the patient pathway.
As well as the elections for the Chair, six Officers were also nominated for the Group.
These included:
- Holly Mumby-Croft, Conservative MP for Scunthorpe
- Grahame Morris, Labour MP for Easington
- Sir Mike Penning, Conservative MP for Hemel Hempstead
- Sir David Amess, Conservative MP for Southend West
- Lord Aberdare
- The Baroness Masham of Ilton
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here