MACMILLAN Cancer Support is calling for more cancer nurses in England, so cancer patients get the care and support they need.
The call comes as Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid, The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, speaks at the Conservative Party Conference later today, Tueesday, October 5.
Research by the charity showed the alarming cost of ongoing cancer nursing shortages on the NHS and on cancer patient care.
In the report, Cancer nursing on the line, which followed the research, Macmillan estimates that more than 3,000 additional cancer nurses are needed in England alone to ensure cancer patients get the care and support they need.
Not only would a fully resourced specialist nursing workforce help save and improve patients’ lives, it would reduce pressure on, and could also create savings for, the NHS as it struggles to cope with the impact of Covid-19.
The report highlights that almost half of all people (44 per cent) who were diagnosed with cancer in the last two years lacked support and experienced at least one potentially serious medical implication as a result, such as ending up in A&E, not knowing if they were taking their medication correctly or what side effects to look out for.
Elaine Wilson, head of partnerships for Macmillan in the Midlands said: “We are calling on the Government to create a ringfenced Cancer Nurse Fund of £124 million to train an extra 3,370 specialist cancer nurses in England.
“Sajid Javid’s own constituency in Bromsgrove is part of the West Midlands Cancer Alliance with 42 percent of specialist cancer nurses aged 50 or over in England. With many of these specialists nearing retirement age, we are not doing enough to ensure that their expertise is being replaced, adding yet more pressure onto an already overstretched workforce.
“We want the Secretary of State to acknowledge and address this ticking time bomb; he needs to ensure there are enough staff to provide patients with the quality of care they need and deserve.
“Without this, the Government risks failing on commitments to treat cancer quickly and appropriately, leaving thousands of patients across the region struggling to access their cancer care.”
