Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
11 December 2015 09:13
Emergency care for people living with cancer is piling pressure on the NHS, a group says
The NHS is having to provide too much emergency care for people with cancer, according to a new report from Macmillan Cancer Support.
The group says the lack of support for people living with the disease is placing an unsustainable burden on the health service.
And it is calling on the Government and the NHS to rectify the situation by funding the life-long cost of supporting survivors after their initial treatment is finished.
Emergency care
Macmillan says in England the NHS is spending over half a billion pounds each year on emergency care for patients with the four commonest cancers.
Over £130 million of that, it adds, goes on treating patients over six months on from their diagnosis and usually after their initial treatment has been completed.
It says the "dysfunctional" system now in place is failing to help those living with cancer recover and regain a good quality of life.
Travel plans
One thing which can help people during their road to recovery is taking a relaxing holiday with family or friends, something which can be covered by a cancer travel insurance policy.
'Last resort'
Macmillan's executive director of services and influencing, Juliet Bouverie, says for people with cancer emergency care should be a last resort.
But the group says while the cost of care during initial treatment for the 40,000 women diagnosed every year with early-stage breast cancer amounts to some £155 million, the amount spent afterwards is £250 million.
Ms Bouverie says the fact that so much money is being spent on such care shows the system is not designed to help people take control of their health after their initial treatment.
The time has now come, she adds, for the NHS and the Government to fully fund a change in approach and recognise that people have to live with the effects of cancer for the rest of their lives, even after their treatment has finished.
With an increasing number of people surviving cancer, it is estimated that some 3.4 million in England will be living with the disease by 2030.
17 January 2019
Campaigners are protesting outside the High Court in London as the legal challenge against Heathrow Airport's controversial expansion ramps up.
[more...]
16 January 2019
A new way to predict a woman's risk of breast cancer has been unveiled by scientists - and it's the most comprehensive method yet.
15 January 2019
NHS commissioners could be slapped with a £2,500 fine for every patient left waiting more than a year for vital care, new proposals suggest.
12 January 2019
All UK airports should buy anti-drone technology and not rely on the Royal Air Force to help out, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.
10 January 2019
The military was brought in on Tuesday night after police officers saw a drone operating at Heathrow Airport, forcing departures to be suspended for an hour.
11 January 2019
A so-called "drug sponge" that mops up leftover drugs from cancer treatment could improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, new research has claimed.
09 January 2019
A hormone released during exercise could help protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
08 January 2019
Ryanair has been labelled the worst airline operating in the UK for the sixth year running in a leading consumer group survey.
05 January 2019
Anti-drone technology will be deployed at the UK's two busiest airports in response to the disruption caused before Christmas.
04 January 2019
A new cancer-detecting breathalyser test is being trialled in the UK - in a move that could revolutionise the way the disease is diagnosed.
03 January 2019
The average 10-year-old child will have already eaten more sugar in their life than the maximum amount recommended for 18-year-olds, a new study reveals.
01 January 2019
The number of travellers satisfied with flying has fallen over the last two years over frustration with how airlines handle complaints, new research reveals.