'I'm a cancer patient - here's the three things that need to happen to fix the NHS'

Having cancer is like a job that no-one wants with countless trips to hospital for chemotherapy, scans, blood tests and doctor appointments.

As a ‘cancer employee’ I’ve had impeccable treatment from the nurses while having chemotherapy. But I’ve had to constantly battle to get medical appointments at times and on days that work for me.

I've overheard a doctor explaining to another patient that their treatment might not be able to go ahead that day because NHS England hadn't yet signed the approval form for funding for one of the drugs.

I've seen patients crashing due to experiencing severe side effects from their medication and being brought round by medical teams.

Obviously, we are very lucky to have the NHS in the UK but this luck will run out and it will crumble unless action is taken.

Here are three pledges the next government must adopt to ensure the NHS survives and remains fit for the 21st century.

1. Treat mental health issues as seriously as cancer

Chemotherapy is the single biggest spend that the NHS has, including spending what must be at least tens of thousands of pounds on me to fight my incurable cancer. And it is likely to be a lot more before the money either runs out or my body can't cope anymore.

It is spending this money to prolong my life while hardly any attention is given to people with mental health issues whose lives could be saved at a much lower cost.

In the months since I was diagnosed with cancer last summer, I've known of nine people to have killed themselves.

These nine, like so many others across the country, did not get the support they were desperately seeking.

Instead, they faced long waiting lists for specialist mental health treatment, advisers on crisis lines that told them to do jigsaws to distract them from suicidal thoughts and could only turn to their overstretched GPs for help.

With pressure on all parties to not increase taxes, party leaders will be pleased to note that early treatment for mental health issues makes financial sense.

An hour of therapy with a psychologist costs around £85. This is a miniscule amount compared to the average £2.5m cost to society and the economy of a suicide. (The trainer on a mental health first aid course who gave me the figure said it includes costs like the emergency services at the scene, investigations by the police and the coroner, and the resulting inquest.)

If people with mental health issues were seen by specialists as quickly as patients with cancer I believe there would be far fewer suicides.

The next government must pledge to end the system where mentally ill people fall through the gaps by being too unwell for one service but not ill enough for the next one up.

They must have access to the same level of treatment that people with cancer receive, with quick access to specialists so they can get the help they need.

2. Build hospitals that are fit for purpose

With many NHS hospitals being in a state of disrepair I'm considered one of the lucky ones as my cancer treatment takes place in a purpose-built modern building which is around a year old.

But sadly, it does seem the purpose was to look nice for Prince William when he opened it, rather than being fully equipped for the needs of the staff and patients.

For example, the room where I have bloods taken is a tight squeeze for two nurses and two patients and already has a gap in the ceiling where one of the panels is damaged.

And the hospital (either through the NHS or the Trust's charity) spent an undisclosed sum of money on two trees for indoors that died within eight months (quite probably because trees don't tend to survive indoors without proper access to sunlight and water).

The next prime minister must pledge to ensure any hospital renovation and building programme happens after staff are consulted about what would work and enable them to serve patients better, rather than just what looks nice.

3. Ensure there is adequate funding for the NHS

This is easier said than done, which is why I'm not a politician, but it is time to end the system where NHS services have to rely on people doing the London Marathon and other fundraising events for them so they can stay open.

The fancy building I mentioned above was paid for in part by my hospital's charity raising £70m through donations.

This is despite the fact that cancer affects one in two people, so buildings to treat them are clearly something that should be fully funded by the NHS.

It seems a lot of the hospital charities have sprung up because there isn't enough money given them to run all the services and commission the research they want to do. But it shouldn't be this way.

The next government needs to pledge to look at the way the NHS is funded so it can ensure the money given to hospitals is adequate for their needs.

This must include changing the corporation tax system so all companies operating in the UK are taxed fairly for the benefit of the British people.

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