Tory candidate suggests cancer patients ‘really care’ more about survival rates than waiting times

Chris Philp also claims worst-ever figures reflect success in persuading more people to come forward for screening

Cancer patients are less concerned about longer waiting times for treatment because they “really care” about survival rates, a Conservative candidate has suggested.

Chris Philp provoked gasps of astonishment when he also claimed that missed waiting targets – the figures are the worst on record – are because of the success in persuading people to come forward.

“The reason why waiting times for diagnosis are going up is because we are encouraging more people to get themselves screened, which is actually a good thing,” said the aide to the justice secretary.

He then added: “The outcomes, cancer survival rates, which is what people really care about – am I going to survive this terrible illness - they’re going up.”

Mr Philp also claimed the Conservatives were able to promise billions more for the NHS because “the economy is strong” – on the day it was revealed there was no economic growth for three months in a row.

Last month, it was revealed that only 76.9 per cent of cancer patients are starting treatment within 62 days – far below the target of 85 per cent.

Health experts warned the dismal situation – emergency departments are also at their worst ever level – were poised to deteriorate further over the winter.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, criticised Mr Philp’s comments, saying: “This is simply astonishing. A diagnosis of cancer is frightening and we all know timely treatment is vital.

“That fact that on every measure cancer waiting times are worsening under the Tories is a damning indictment of their record.”

On the BBC’s Politics Live programme, Mr Philp was asked whether he would like to “apologise” for the state of the NHS, after nine years of Conservative rule.

He blamed what he acknowledged was the “huge strain” on casualty departments and rising demand and an ageing population, but was told: “We have known that for a long time.”

The ministerial aide then said the “key figure” was how many patients survived, arguing: “Cancer survival rates, the outcomes, have been improving dramatically.”

He was also corrected, by the presenter Jo Coburn, when he claimed Boris Johnson was offering “record investment” in the NHS, because Labour’s spending was higher in real terms.

On longer waiting times for treatment, Mr Philp did acknowledge: “We are getting more people into screening but in addition to that we need to increase capacity.”

The controversy comes after widespread criticism of the prime minister for trying to avoid looking at a photo of a four-year-old boy forced to lie on a hospital floor.

The Independent revealed today the depths of the NHS crisis, exposing a series of cases of sick children forced to wait hours in emergency departments for hospital beds.

One 12-year-old with learning disabilities and mental health issues had to stay in an Essex hospital A& E for 57 hours for a specialist bed to become available, a leaked NHS email showed.

She was one of four children left “in the middle of an emergency department” because of bed shortages.

UPDATE: This article was updated on 11 December to clarify Mr Philp's comments. Our initial headline said Mr Philp had suggested patients did not "really care" about increases in waiting times for cancer treatment. We are happy to clarify that what Mr Philp meant was that what patients "really cared" about was improvements in survival rates.