HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock has agreed to meet with a group of MPs urging the Government to address an alarming backlog in cancer care due to Covid-19.

The Catch Up with Cancer campaign, which includes South Lakes MP, Tim Farron, secured the meeting yesterday, after Mr Hancock faced questions from lawmakers on what they say is a brewing 'national emergency'.

It is thought tens of thousands of people across the UK could die as a result of the backlog in routine cancer care resulting from the health service's diversion of resources to tackle the initial outbreak of Covid-19.

New analysis from the charity Action Radiotherapy has revealed that the backlog of cancer patients still waiting for potentially life-saving treatment nationwide could be as high as 100,000.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Farron said: “Has the Secretary of State seen today’s analysis revealing the terrifying scale of the backlog in cancer treatment and diagnostics?

“It is now clear that it would take the system operating at 135% capacity for six whole months just to catch up with where we were in March.

“Until then the tragic reality is that people in my constituency and around the country will unnecessarily be losing their lives.

“So, I beg him to urgently meet with the clinician-led Catch Up With Cancer campaign so that we can give him the solutions to boost cancer services and save tens of thousands of lives.”

Responding, Mr Hancock said: “Of course, I’ve seen the reports. I feel very strongly about this."