Sir Tony Lloyd to hold advice surgeries via telephone or Zoom as MP undergoes chemotherapy

Tony Lloyd MP

Sir Tony Lloyd, the MP for Rochdale, will no longer hold face-to-face advice surgeries over the next few months as he undergoes chemotherapy.

The 72-year-old began chemotherapy before Christmas “after a recent diagnosis.”

Mr Lloyd has previously been diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer – a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma known as Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia – and was in remission as of January 2021.
 

Read more: Rochdale's MP Tony Lloyd on how his battle with Covid-19 brought him ‘proper humility’Published: 29 January 2021

The MP has not revealed what the recent diagnosis is, but says he has been told to socially isolate and avoid meetings.

As a result, advice surgeries will take place via telephone or as a video call via Zoom.

Mr Lloyd will also not be attending Parliament.

In a statement, he said: “After a recent diagnosis, my doctors have prescribed a course of chemotherapy for me.

“This is mainly delivered as a day patient to hospital and not very intense. This began a little before Christmas and will continue over the next couple of months. However, both the condition I have and the underlying treatment mean that my immune system is compromised during this time and a little beyond.

“In other words I am exposed to a higher risk of catching any infection.  

“As a result, doctors are telling me to socially isolate and avoid meetings. I shall not be attending Parliament during this treatment period nor meeting people in my Rochdale constituency or elsewhere, but I shall hold advice surgeries as usual though by way of zoom or telephone, and constituents who want to use this facility are welcome to do so.

“I shall continue to work to hold Ministers to account through the written questions I table, the letters I write as well as engaging with other agencies on behalf of my constituents.   

“It’s obviously my ambition to get back to normal both for me as an individual and as a Member of Parliament as soon as possible but in the meantime, I shall concentrate on getting better.”