There is a motion tabled for the House of Commons by Mike Thornton MP about oesophageal cancer Early Day Motion no 623):
That this House notes that the UK has the highest incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the world and that incidence is rising; further notes that there are over 8,000 people diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year in the UK; acknowledges that the survival rate for oesophageal cancer is one of the worst of any cancer, with only 15 per cent survival after five years; further notes that diagnosis for the condition Barrett's oesophagus which can lead to oesophageal cancer is low and that public awareness of the significance of persistent heartburn as a risk factor is very low; welcomes the work of the Oesophageal Cancer Westminster Campaign, a campaign group of patient groups, clinical experts, industry and bereaved families; further welcomes the national Be Clear on Cancer campaign on oesophageal cancer; and calls for the Government and the Department of Health to regard the diagnosis and treatment of Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal cancer as a national priority to save lives.
If MPs are government ministers they cannot sign these, and some members do not sign any of them on principle, but please write to your own MP to draw attention to this motion and ask them to support it. The aim is to gain at least a hundred signatures, the point at which they start to become influential.
Parliament is in recess at the moment, and return on 5 January, and it is a busy time around Christmas, but please do this to support the cause if you can.
Thank you for letting us know about this EDM. I'll certainly be writing to my MP and forwarding this message to friends and family. AND I hope the medics all know about it too.
All good wishes for 2015 to Alan and everyone who contributes to this helpful site.
This motion now has 42 signatures (the MPs are now back at Westminster) so you can see whether yours has signed up yet here:
I have emailed my MP and forwarded info on to friends and family asking them to do the same. This is very important and we can all send a quick email.
If people are unsure of who their MP is you can click this link, pop in your postcode and it will tell you who your MP is and give you their email address. parliament.uk/mps-lords-and...
Then you can just send an email along the lines of;
INSERT FULL NAME AND POSTAL ADDRESS (otherwise MP's cannot deal with your enquiry/request as there is a strict Parliamentary rule that MPs can only act on behalf of their own constituents.)
As of 22 January, the signatures seem to have settled at 55. It would be nice to reach 100, so if your MP does not appear on the list, a reminder may well be appropriate!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
