A Sandbach town councillor and doctor has expressed concern about waiting times for cancer care.

Councillor Mark Mitchell, an Elworth ward councillor and also a GP, says data obtained through a Freedom of information request to Mid-Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust which runs Leighton hospital has shown increasing waiting times for cancer care.

"Early diagnosis of cancer is crucial to ensure the best outcomes. Patients who present to their GP with symptoms of possible cancer should be seen by a specialist within two weeks of referral.

"However, at Mid-Cheshire NHS trust some patients are waiting up to 81 days to see a cancer specialist after referral. Once a diagnosis of cancer is made patients should start treatment within two months however at Mid-Cheshire some patients are waiting up to 170 days for cancer treatment."

Dr Mitchell says he's "shocked" at the length of these waits but unfortunately similar waits are seen in many other NHS trusts across the country.

(Photo: Dr Mark Mitchell)

"This is a direct result of the Conservative government to get a grip on managing the NHS. The government is failing to fund the NHS adequately, staff are leaving in droves due to being under paid and over worked while the number of NHS inpatient beds per population is falling. All this results in further strain on the NHS and the result is that patients suffer.

"The Conservatives have responded to this news by axing the targets altogether. They do not seek to improve overall care; they are looking for a way to let themselves off the hook.

"If the targets do not exist, they cannot be blamed when they fail to meet them. This shows the that the Conservatives cannot be trusted to run the NHS, the longer they stay in power the worse our NHS gets.

"As a GP I know waiting for a possible diagnosis of cancer can be one of the most distressing times in a person's life, especially since the earlier the diagnosis and treatment the better the chances of treatment curing the disease.

"These long waits are causing people to suffer more than they should and may result in worse cancer survival rates. It is estimated that one in two of us will get cancer at one point in our lives.

"How the NHS manages cancer should matter to us all. Labour has a clear plan to get the NHS back on track and cut the waiting times to patients can get access to the tests and treatment they need."

A spokesperson for Mid Cheshire Hospitals said: "Cancer continues to be one of our top priorities at the Trust.

"We remain focused on ensuring patients are actively managed, seen and treated as quickly as possible."