One important way for MPs to raise awareness of a particular issue and to ensure greater co-ordination between Government and key stakeholders is through All-Party Parliamentary Groups.
As the name suggests, APPGs are cross-party in nature, and can be comprised of members of the Commons and the Lords.
Last year I helped set up, and was subsequently elected to chair, the APPG on Blood Cancer.
This is a personal issue for me due to the loss of my mother four years ago from acute myeloid leukaemia and that of a staff member’s mother very recently; colleagues on the Group have their own experiences of seeing the effects of the disease up close also.
The 137 types of blood cancer are, combined, the fifth most common cancers in the UK and the third biggest cancer killer, claiming more lives each year than breast or prostate cancer.
The reality is that the current awareness of blood cancer does not reflect these significant figures.
There needs to be an increased focus on support for those living with and beyond cancer. In particular, there should be additional thought for patients with slow-progressing cancers, such as leukaemia, or those on ‘watch and wait’ who have particular emotional and psychological needs. I raised these concerns in Parliament last year and will continue to pursue with health officials.
Here in Crawley, the Mark Henry Archer Tribute Fund at Bloodwise continues to highlight the importance of blood cancer awareness. Jayne Archer, who set up the Fund in memory of her late husband, continues to embark on fundraising projects to raise the profile of the disease, and to give Mark a deserved legacy.
The Community Health & Care Minister, David Mowat MP, accepted my invitation to speak at an upcoming meeting of the Group next week. I am looking forward to the opportunity for the Group to share our own insights and first-hand experiences with the Minister.
If there are any Crawley Observer readers with their own experiences of living with blood cancer, do not hesitate to get in touch. Please contact me by emailing: [email protected], writing to: Henry Smith MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or by calling my office on 01293 934554.
Henry Smith MP
