Consultants’ strike to put NHS care in England ‘at a standstill’, says top doctor
GuardianMAY 2023
The Spin
Right narrative
These changes are a big step forward in clearing the cancer backlog, as patients now have a better understanding of what the treatment regime for cancer will entail. The prior two-week consultation aim didn't include receiving a positive diagnosis or test, making it a cosmetic goal. As the plethora of targets was confusing and unhelpful, the Tory government's much-needed overhaul could help save lives.
Left narrative
Fiddling with the metrics can't mask the damage years of Conservative austerity have wreaked on the NHS. The UK has failed to meet its cancer targets for years, and the prognosis for British cancer patients has dropped precipitously. In the face of the biggest crisis in cancer care in its history, the NHS needs an infusion of investment and a reworked structure, not a fixation on easily manipulated, PR-friendly statistics that have no bearing on the quality of treatment cancer patients receive.