‘Marathon Man’ and Parliamentary candidate join forces to call for improvements to cancer care in West Cumbria

Local runner Gary McKee, dubbed the ‘Marathon Man’ after he ran a marathon every day for a year and raised over £1 million for Macmillan cancer charity, has teamed up with Josh MacAlister, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Whitehaven and Workington, to call for improvements to cancer care in West Cumbria.

The call follows the release of data showing that waiting times for cancer treatment in north and west Cumbria are among the worst in the country, with almost half of all cancer patients here waiting more than two months from referral to treatment.

The pair are calling on the government to provide urgent support to the NHS in Cumbria to bring down waiting times for treatment. In addition, they’re asking North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust to reinstate the Macmillan Community Cancer Nursing service, which helped cancer patients navigate the system and access a range of support. The service was scrapped last year, but an evaluation obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Josh MacAlister found it to be valued by patients. A business case for a replacement service promised last autumn is yet to materialise.

Josh said:

“The Tories have brought our NHS to its knees and the latest figures show the human impact of that. Waiting times are the highest on record across the country and the fault for that lies at the door of 10 Downing Street.

“Locally, we must ask the tough questions about why and how almost half of all cancer patients are waiting months to begin treatment – some of the worst performance in England. At the same time, a vital support service for cancer patients was scrapped and not replaced. It’s not good enough and patients deserve better.”

Gary said:

“I heard from so many people who benefited from the Macmillan cancer support who were devastated when the service was scrapped. We need it back here serving people living with cancer in West Cumbria. That’s why I’m working with Josh to improve cancer services for local people and why I’ll keep fundraising for Macmillian and the brilliant work they do.”