Boris Johnson has been slammed for dismissing the outcomes of cancer sufferers in different parts of the UK.
Ahead of Conservative party conference, the Prime Minister was asked if there was a measure to determine if those who were more deprived were catching up with those who were better off.
Mr Johnson, whose ex-wife Marina has spoken about her battle with cervical cancer, told the BBC: “I’ve given you the most important metric – never mind life expectancy, never mind cancer outcomes – look at wage growth.
“Wage growth is now being experienced faster by those on lower incomes.
“It hasn’t happened for 10 years or more. That is what I mean by levelling up.”
Labour accused the PM of giving a “chilling” disregard for the outcome of treatments for cancer sufferers.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Johnson had no interest in “levelling up” health outcomes after he suggested wage growth was a more important measure of the success of his keynote policy.
“Boris Johnson starts his conference with the most chilling words ever spoken from a Prime Minister dismissing the importance of cancer outcomes,” Mr Ashworth said.
“Life expectancy has stalled for those in the poorest areas. There is no levelling up without levelling up health.
“It’s now clearer than ever that all Boris Johnson offers is just glib words and no action.”
And child poverty secretary Wes Streeting, who recently recovered from kidney cancer, tweeted: “’Never mind cancer outcomes,’ I do, as it happens.
“So do millions of others. This is stomach-turning, insightful and outrageous.”
In his speech last week at Labour party conference Mr Streeting said Mr Johnson was "punching down, not levelling up" the country.
More than half a million cancer patients are missing out on vital healthcare support due to severe staff shortages across the NHS, according to figures from Macmillan Cancer Support.
Dr Clive Peedle, a consultant clinical oncologist and NHS campaigner, said: “As a cancer doctor in the North East of England, I find Boris Johnson’s comments abhorrent.
“Wage growth is only beneficial if wealth inequality is addressed, but his government has no intention of tackling this.”
