In his latest column, High Peak MP Robert Largan pays tribute to constituent and charity founder Gemma Ellis who has sadly passed away.

Last week, High Peak lost one of our most inspiring residents, with the death of Gemma Ellis.

Chapel-en-le-Frith resident Gemma established the charity Stage 4 Deserves More after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in February 2017.

The charity supplies free support packs to those diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, and funds research into treatment of the disease.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gemma and she was one of those remarkable people, inspiring and entertaining in equal measure. 

It was an honour to be able to praise Gemma’s work in Parliament. Recently, I also arranged for the Prime Minister to formally recognise her amazing charity work in an area that is very close to my heart.

The five-year survival rate for those with secondary breast cancer is just 22%. Gemma’s courage should be an inspiration to us all. She will be sorely missed. 

My thoughts remain with her husband Ben and her children at this very sad time.

For too long, many women’s health conditions have been stigmatised or simply not discussed. Now is the time for these difficult conversations about how we view and treat women’s health. 

I fought hard to get the mobile breast cancer screening unit restored to High Peak, after it was withdrawn in 2020. A record number of women have been invited to screening this year. Please do go if you are invited. It’s important that we make sure that we use our fantastic mobile screening units. 

I would also like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to another local campaigner, Ciara Curran, who has come through personal tragedy to help others. 

Following the death of her baby daughter Sinead in 2010 from pre-term pre-labour rupture of the membranes (PPROM), she set up Little Heartbeats to help support women who have lost a baby to PPROM. In Parliament, I have called for improvements to Tameside Hospital’s maternity unit, specialist psychological support for parents, and better training for prenatal nurses. 

Endometriosis is another condition which too few have spoken about for too long. Local resident Maddy Howarth has campaigned tirelessly on this issue. Women with endometriosis suffer debilitating pain with many waiting months to see specialists for treatment or even a diagnosis. 

I am proud of this Government’s work to publish the first Women’s Health Strategy which sets out a 10-year plan to improve our clinical understanding, screening, and treatment of women’s health issues. 

The announcement this week that the cost of Hormone Replacement Therapy will be cut is evidence of this in action, saving hundreds of pounds each year for the 400,000 women with severe menopause symptoms. 

But more remains to be done. I will continue to work with the Government and our local NHS to improve the treatment of women’s health conditions.

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