A campaign led by an Isle of Wight family to assist in early diagnosis of skin cancer has been highlighted in a parliamentary debate led by Island MP Bob Seely this week.
The campaign, known as ‘Zoe’s Law’, aims to change NHS medical practices to ensure all moles removed at private clinics are tested for melanoma. It started following the death of Islander Zoe Panayi to skin cancer in May 2020.
Zoe’s mother, Eileen Punter, recently updated Bob on the progress of the campaign, and following that conversation Bob initiated a parliamentary debate to raise awareness in Government.
During the debate, Bob suggested to Health Minister, Helen Whately, that the Government could initiate a pilot scheme to test all moles and skin tags removed from the body for melanoma.
He said:
“The idea of testing all removed moles and skin tags is potentially very popular, and a petition started by [Zoe’s] family has now reached some 35,000 signatures.”
The Island’s MP said he would like to know what more could be done in the future because, “thousands of people are needlessly dying every year.”
He urged the Minister to respond to him in writing setting out further plans on raising awareness of moles and suggested more could be done through education and training.
“I ask the Minister to respond not only on the issue of testing for melanomas but on broader education for GPs, hairdressers, dentists and nurses, so that they are better able to spot cancerous moles before they spread.”
Bob also paid tribute to Zoe’s family, particularly her mum Eileen Punter, highlighting the great work they had been doing to lead the campaign.
Mr Seely said malignant melanoma was the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK and of the (approx.) 16,700 cases diagnosed every year, about 2,300 people died from this disease.
In concluding the debate, the Minister also paid tribute to Zoe’s family. She said:
“Like Zoe’s family, as cancer Minister I want to stop people going through what they have been through. I want us to get better at preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. Although we cannot remove the risk of skin cancer in its entirety, we can raise awareness of the things that increase the risk and help people take steps to protect themselves.”
She highlighted that teledermatology – the use of digital images to check for signs of cancer – is now offered by all GPs on the Isle of Wight and is increasingly available across the NHS.
Responding to Mr Seely’s specific requests she said:
“I can assure him that I will take his argument away, look into it and then write to him with a full response on his proposal.”
Some kind of irony in a Tory campaigning for “early diagnosis” in anything after they have run the NHS into the ground over the last 12 years.
A Tory who has consistently voted for cuts to the service he now wants to do this “early diagnosis”.
What about the people suffering and dying from all of the other, largely treatable, conditions who can’t get treatment because of those cuts?
What about the people suffering from mouth and throat cancer because they can’t get a dentist who would have spotted it early?
What about the people dying in ambulances because they can’t get into A&E. Which, in turn, is because A&E can’t move patients to the wards because the wards can’t discharge because of the lack of care places?
Spot on. He’s doing this to raise his appearance to the local population by appearing to pretend to care for local families.
Nevertheless, I’m hoping some good may come of it.
Early diagnosis is ok if you can get a doctors appointment or even get them to listen to you
The number of full time equivalent GPs has shrunk from 28,500 in 2015 to 26,500 today. In September 2022 there were 36 million GP appointments compared to an average of 27 million pre-pandemic. So 2,000 fewer GPs dealing with 9 million more appointments every month.
Not necessarily found our our GP is only in 2 days a week and there is only one full time GP, in their absence locums are fetched in. The GP numbers are good but would be better if they managed a 5 day week.
Try reading what I wrote before replying. I said “full time equivalent”. Two doctors working half full time hours is one full time equivalent.
Yes, many GPs have cut their hours. Just like the rest of us, they are entitled to works as many hours as suits them.
The question you should be asking is why have the cut their hours and what can be done to encourage them back to full time.
And before any of the usual suspects start sounding off about how they should be made to work, please explain how doing that is going to stop prospective GPs from following other medical career paths (hospital, private, etc) or deciding not to enter medicine at all.
I would not trust a Tory if they paid me too.
Look How they are treating the Nurses
They are evil uncaring b***ards
That’s got nothing to do with this issue. Just say something decent for now
Shut up you lot!! Can you hear yourselves for xxx sake!! Disrespectful, moaning load of gits. There’s a time and a place, this was a beautiful, clever mum who was taken from her family very quickly by a horrible thing that could’ve and would’ve been stopped if action had been taken!
One thing at a time, have dignity and show respect. Moan about something else, somewhere else
Well said. There are more routes to being diagnosed than G’P.s There is the Excellent Lighthouse Clinic in Newport.
Yes, they do charge a modest amount for an appointment but what price your health.Well done Bob Seely, keep up the good work.
Zoe’s and her family’s plight was and still is truly awful. Anyone with kids can imagine, but not truly understand the utter desolation until this happens. Bob is an outrageously obnoxious attention seeker, but at least this time he’s been presented with a subject to gain his limelight in a vitally worthwhile cause. Certainly no one can argue with the cause.
RIP Zoe.
I thought it was automatic that any “biopsy” taken is checked further for possible cancer implications. Obviously not if now Bob is on an easy route to succeeding in getting what should have been a bog standard law approved. As for the further education of other professions, common sense tells you if it is not the “norm” to get it checked out. The only people that can arrange that are GPs so perhaps a refresher course for them and more time in the surgery to see patients would also be of great help.
I think a lot of GP’s need more training too. I seem to already have my own diagnosis before I manage to get a face to face appointment which I agree are very hard to get still.
The hospital are shocking in some departments following patients up especially when it comes to women’s clinics and were expected to make our own follow ups via our GP which isn’t appropriate given the situation we’re all in. Better care across the board is needed rather than this lapsidasicle attitude seen all too often.
Seems automatic mode is switched off with many these days. Don’t want to go that extra few inches even though that in itself should be the standard, it used to be. When things do go to plan we are so elated and full of praise. It’s a sorry state of affairs. We pay our taxes and we should get much better services.
We know that there are discrepancies with pay and staff shortages but it should never impact on the care and follow up of a patient.
There was a post saying nurses broke the picket line to help a man who had collapsed.,I wouldn’t have expected anything else from caring individuals or anyone in that situation. I’m sure it’s incredibly hard for most to be outside in the first place. Desperate times it’s so very sad.