Entries tagged with “cancer” from Working For Walthamstow
This past week I attended the Labour Party Conference in Manchester to participate in the policy debates regarding the future direction of Government. I'm proud Labour will put into law the pledge to end child poverty in our country to make it a legal obligation for all future governments whatever their political persuasion. I'm also proud that it is Labour proposing ending prescription charges by introducing free drugs for a quarter of a million cancer patients from next year. The plan is for this eventually to be extended to all those with long term medical conditions- meaning that in the future no one should need to worry about their ability to pay for vital medication if Labour is in power. The commitment to offer free nursery places for all two year olds within the next ten years will also make a real difference to local families, as will plans to make sure that a million children from low income backgrounds get access to computers and the internet. These were my highlights - I would be interested in your views on these ideas and how they will change life here in Walthamstow.
My personal highlight of the week was meeting Ed Clancy, a member of the British gold medal winning men's cycling team from the 2008 Olympics. The velodrome for the 2012 Olympics in London will be at the Lee Valley Park so I look forward to welcoming Ed and other members of the British cycling team to our part of the world to build on their successes in 2012.
Cancer is the biggest cause of death in the UK with more than one in three people developing the disease at some point in their lives. Each day around 800 people across the country learn of a cancer diagnosis for the first time. Research into the causes of cancer and its treatment show its complexity - both genetic and lifestyle factors influence your chances of developing the disease. That's the bad news, but the good news is that there are ways of preventing it and ensuring that when caught early enough it can be treated successfully. This week the Government published their cancer strategy for the next few years. This will see increasing investment to extend screening for breast cancer, further action to encourage people to quit smoking - including the possibility of banning cigarette machines - and discussion on the use of sunbeds. Let me know what you think.
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