Tuesday 15th March is the first ever National Cancer CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist) Day to honour the hard work that cancer nurses do to support people with a cancer diagnosis. Today, Macmillan Cancer Support is calling on Governments across the UK to invest in enough specialist cancer nurses to provide the vital care people living with cancer need.
There are currently 875 Macmillan Nursing posts in Greater London, and over the last 15 years, Macmillan has invested approximately £17.8m to fund these posts. However, with the number of people living with cancer in the UK set to soar to 4 million by 2030, Macmillan is calling on all UK Governments to urgently address the gaps in the cancer care workforce.
Macmillan’s research estimates that, if the number of specialist cancer nurses stays at current levels, by 2030 we will need 3,371 more specialist cancer nurses in England alone.
Further research by Macmillan shows 25% of people diagnosed with cancer in the UK in the previous two years – including at least an estimated 75,000 people diagnosed since the start of the pandemic – have lacked specialist cancer nursing support during their diagnosis or treatment (meaning they didn’t get any support and would have liked to, or the support they got wasn’t enough).[iii]
Emma Tingley, Macmillan Head of Partnerships for London & South East:
“Time and time again, people living with cancer tell Macmillan Cancer Support that their cancer nurse was their ‘lifeline’. People value the time taken to talk them through their cancer treatment, understand what matters to them, and support them through their cancer journey.
“Today, as we are celebrating the first National Cancer Nurse Day and the incredible work cancer nurses do, we must not forget that the cancer workforce in the capital doesn’t need just warm words of thanks. They need Governments to commit and tackle the staffing gap in vital roles, otherwise we will fail to improve cancer care and all of us will feel the impact when we or our families need it the most.
“Macmillan is proud to have worked with our NHS partners to create the CNS role and transform cancer care in the UK. Yet we don’t have enough nurses to meet current needs in London, let alone the increased needs we anticipate over the coming decades. We also know that gaps in the workforce will often occur in the most deprived areas or reflect the communities facing greatest exclusion in our society. If we want to safeguard the vital contribution of cancer nurses and really help people living with cancer, Governments must act now.”
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Description automatically generatedTherese Hona, Macmillan Complex Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist at St Mark’s Hospital, North West London:
“Working with patients in assessing and addressing their symptoms from cancer and its treatment, through face to face, telephone or video consultations, is a huge part of what I do. I’m an advocate for all my patients – I make sure that they have all the information they need so that they can make the best decision for them. Throughout their diagnosis and treatment, I feel strongly about providing personalised care for my patients and involving them in all aspects of their cancer journey.”
