Richard Quigley thanked his Labour colleague Ben Goldsborough MP for South Norfolk, who is currently undergoing treatment for stage 2c melanoma, for using his Prime Ministers question to highlight Zoe’s Law.
Yesterday in the House of Commons, Ben Goldsborough, MP for South Norfolk, used his at Prime Minister’s Questions to call on the Prime Minister to implement ‘Zoe’s Law’ — a vital reform aimed at preventing avoidable deaths from melanoma.
Prime Minister’s Questions are allocated through a random shuffle system, and Richard Quigley MP expressed deep gratitude that Ben, who is currently undergoing treatment for stage 2c malignant melanoma, chose to use his question to spotlight this important campaign – which they are working on together as Labour MPs.
Zoe’s mother, Eileen, and brother Charlie were present in the public gallery to witness their years of tireless campaigning reach the floor of the Commons and the attention of the Prime Minister.
The campaign for Zoe’s Law began following the tragic death of Zoe Panayi, a young woman from the Isle of Wight, who died just 55 days after being diagnosed with melanoma. Despite raising concerns about a mole on her back with her GP on two separate occasions, Zoe was reassured it was nothing to worry about. She later opted for private cosmetic removal of the mole, a procedure during which, as is standard practice, the mole was not sent for histological testing. This meant her cancer went undetected until it was too late.
Zoe’s Law would require all moles and lesions removed for cosmetic reasons to be routinely tested for cancer, ensuring early detection and potentially saving lives.
The Prime Minister responded by stating he would be happy to meet with the family and following the question a same day meeting was set up with Zoe’s family, Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton MP, and officials from NHS England. Discussions included how new technology such as AI could be used to ensure the tragic events of Zoe’s death are never repeated. The Minister acknowledged that this was very much the beginning of the process of righting this wrong and that discussions are ongoing.
Charlie Panayi, Zoe’s brother, stated that the Prime Minister’s Question represented a big step in the push for change:
“Today was a moment I’ll never forget. To sit in a private meeting with the Health Minister, the Head of NHS Pathology, and others, and to hear Zoe’s story read aloud in the House of Commons to the Prime Minister himself, that was powerful beyond words and to be honest not what I thought today’s outcome would be.”
“For over four and a half years we’ve been fighting for Zoe’s Law, driven by love, loss, and a belief that no family should go through what we did. To hear the Prime Minister’s personal response and his commitment to move this forward was incredibly special.”
Richard Quiqley, MP for the Isle of Wight West, said:
“Zoe’s family have been pushing very hard for several years to move this issue forward and hopefully into law. As Ben has personal experience, it makes perfect sense for us to work together to get the change needed to avoid cases like Zoe’s in the future.
That’s why I am so pleased Ben is taking the opportunity to bring the issue forward at PMQs. No one should have to go through what Zoe and her family experienced, and yet
I’ve been truly inspired by their determination to drive change. Working alongside Ben, we won’t stop until something is done to right this wrong — in Zoe’s memory.
I promised Zoe’s family that I would champion this campaign in Parliament and that is what I’m determined to do – this is just the beginning of our efforts”
Ben Goldsborough, MP for South Norfolk, said:
“Zoe’s story is utterly tragic. Zoe should still be here today, and her family should still have their daughter and sister.
“It is hard to think of a cancer diagnosis as ‘lucky’, but for me Zoe’s case is a reminder that my cancer journey could have gone so differently.
“But this shouldn’t be ‘luck-of-the-draw’, we can and must do so much better. That’s why I called on the Prime Minister to enact Zoe’s Law so we can save more lives from skin cancer. This simple change to law will make enormous improvements in our healthcare.”
“I’ve said it before, but that won’t stop me from saying it again and again: please, if you’re reading this, and you think something’s not right, go to a doctor and get it checked out.”
