Henry Smith MP has been confirmed as the Chairman of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer.
The new Group, whose first meeting took place in Westminster today (Tuesday, 14th June), will raise awareness and promote the needs of blood cancer patients among parliamentarians and government.
Henry said;
“I’m honoured to Chair the new Blood Cancer APPG, and I’m looking forward to continuing to promote awareness of blood cancer, and highlight the needs of patients and their families with other MPs, the Government, as well as NHS and charity stakeholders.
“Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. This is a personal issue for me as well, as I lost my own mother to acute myeloid leukaemia a few years ago.
“The group will bring together MPs and members of the House Lords, as well as experts on blood cancer from the charity Bloodwise, who I have been pleased to work with previously.
“The initial meeting was very productive and I’m looking forward to taking this Group forward.”
There are currently 230,000 people in the UK living with blood cancers, which include leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Research from Bloodwise has shown that public awareness of blood cancer is low and that patients often feel isolated and believe these cancers are seen as ‘separate’ from other cancers. Bloodwise will provide secretarial support to the newly-founded Group.
All-Party Parliamentary Groups are cross-party groups which can comprise of MPs and members of the House of Lords, though many choose to involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament in their administration and activities.
In September 2015, Henry was pleased to join with Bloodwise in Parliament during Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and continues to support them in their work for blood cancer patients and their families.
The new Group will focus on a number of issues affecting patients, including low awareness of symptoms among the public and GPs, access to specialist nurses and improving the provision of post-treatment care and support.
Diana Jupp, Director of Patient Experience at Bloodwise, commented;
“Blood cancers claim more lives each year than either breast cancer or prostate cancer, yet public awareness of these diseases remain very low. The formation of this Group is an important step towards addressing this and improving the lives of those affected by blood cancer.
“We’re delighted and very grateful that Henry Smith has agreed to Chair the Group. His expertise, dedication and passion for helping patients will be invaluable.”
Notes to Editors
Henry Smith MP
Henry Smith MP is also the Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, which promotes and furthers the cause of animal welfare in Parliament by raising issues of concern and suggesting policy solutions. Henry was elected to this role in June 2015.
He is additionally a Vice Chair of the Chagos Islands (British Indian Ocean Territory) All-Party Parliamentary Group, which seeks to help bring about a resolution of the issues concerning the future of the Chagos Islands (BIOT) and the Chagossian people, many of whom are Crawley residents.
Bloodwise
Bloodwise is the UK’s biggest blood cancer charity dedicated to improving the lives of patients. The charity, which was formed in 1960, changed its name from Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research in September 2015. Its life-saving work is focused on stopping people from dying of blood cancer, improving the quality of life for patients and their families, and where possible, stopping people getting blood cancer in the first place.
Around 38,000 people of all ages, from children to adults, are diagnosed with blood cancers and related disorders every year in the UK. It is a complex disease area made up of 137 individual diseases. Some affect thousands of people, such as common forms of leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Others affect only a handful. But together, blood cancers are the fifth most common form of cancer.
The charity’s research is targeted at understanding more about blood cancer, finding causes, improving diagnosis and treatments, and running ground-breaking clinical trials for patients. The charity champions patients’ needs by influencing relevant decision makers and influencers, and seeking to raise awareness of the issues faced by patients. Their patient services provide information, support and assistance to patients at every stage of their journey. For more information visit www.bloodwise.org.uk
Picture
Henry Smith MP with some of his parliamentary colleagues in attendance (from left to right); Jim Shannon MP, Jess Phillips MP and Colleen Fletcher MP.
