I’m backing Cancer Research UK in their call for the Government to train and employ more NHS staff to diagnose and treat cancer.

With an increased and ageing population, projections show that half of all people in the UK are expected to be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetimes.

Across St Helens, NHS staff work with dedication and enormous professionalism to treat patients, but the Government is not providing enough support.

Currently, 1 in 10 diagnostic staff posts are unfilled and by 2035, there will be an additional 150,000 cancer patients diagnosed each year.

It is therefore crucial that our NHS is properly equipped to deal with this, and early diagnosis and proper treatment is vital to increasing survival rates.

Recruiting and training more diagnostic and treatments staff is paramount, and the Government should commit to this.