Henry Smith MP has given his backing to Macmillan Cancer Support's campaign for all patients to be treated with the highest levels of dignity and respect, and for NHS staff to be supported to do so.  

Henry said;

“Every person diagnosed with cancer should be treated with dignity and respect, and not as a set of symptoms. We all know NHS staff work incredibly hard to deliver high quality care in challenging circumstances. However, as Macmillan’s report shows, there is still room for improvement to tackle cases of poor care and staff disengagement. 

“If patient care is to be improved across the NHS, both staff and patients need to be listened to and their feedback acted on. This can make a major difference to how patients experience their care and even recover from cancer treatment. Macmillan's campaign aims to ensure all patients are treated as individuals and I am very proud to support it."

At an event in Parliament, Henry met people affected by cancer and listened to those who spoke about their own experiences, and the importance of being listened to.

Macmillan healthcare staff also shared their stories about caring for people living with cancer, and highlighted the importance of feeling supported and engaged in order to deliver the best possible care.  

Henry continued;

“I am pleased that this Government has ensured increased funding for the NHS. While talk of a £12.7 billion funding increase since 2010 may seem like a distant figure, on the ground it means we have programmes throughout the country such as the Cancer Drugs Fund.”

Throughout this parliament, the £1 billion Cancer Drugs Fund has helped more than 60,000 patients. The Government have also invested three quarters of a billion pounds to improve the speed of diagnosis and quality of treatment, including modernising cancer screening and giving better access to the latest technology such as Proton Beam Therapies. 

Award-winning campaigns like ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ are raising public awareness to record levels and ensuring cancer is treated earlier.

Macmillan’s new report, ‘The people behind cancer care – Patient and Staff stories', emphasises the importance of putting people at the heart of our cancer care by hearing from cancer patients and staff alike. The report presents stories from 10 patients about their experiences of care at different points of their cancer journey. It also features insights from staff into the good and bad aspects of their work and how their own experiences determine the quality of care provided.

External links:
Macmillan Cancer Support
‘The people behind cancer care – Patient and Staff stories’ (PDF)