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Responding to the launch of the White Paper, Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said:
'There are big challenges ahead for the NHS in terms of providing much needed improvements in post treatment care and end of life care for cancer patients. GPs are well placed to bring about these changes as they have both the clinical expertise and are closer to their patients than primary care trust commissioners. 'But it’s clear that GPs don’t yet have the expertise to commission the full range of services needed for complex diseases like cancer. Some areas of cancer treatment, for example, specialist commissioning for rare cancers, are best commissioned at a national or regional level. 'GPs will need specialist support and advice, and Macmillan will be talking to the Department of Health to ensure that our knowledge and experience can help the process ahead. 'We also welcome the desire to put patients at the centre of their care. In order for the patient voice to be strengthened it must be embedded in the commissioning process. This means GPs working together with people with cancer to ensure services are patient centred.'
'There are big challenges ahead for the NHS in terms of providing much needed improvements in post treatment care and end of life care for cancer patients. GPs are well placed to bring about these changes as they have both the clinical expertise and are closer to their patients than primary care trust commissioners.
'But it’s clear that GPs don’t yet have the expertise to commission the full range of services needed for complex diseases like cancer. Some areas of cancer treatment, for example, specialist commissioning for rare cancers, are best commissioned at a national or regional level.
'GPs will need specialist support and advice, and Macmillan will be talking to the Department of Health to ensure that our knowledge and experience can help the process ahead.
'We also welcome the desire to put patients at the centre of their care. In order for the patient voice to be strengthened it must be embedded in the commissioning process. This means GPs working together with people with cancer to ensure services are patient centred.'
For more information, contact: Anna Brosnan, PR and Media Manager Call: 0207 840 7818 Email: abrosnan@macmillan.org.uk|
Macmillan has a national network of 300 GPs and we plan to use them to offer our expertise and knowledge, based on patient experience, of what makes good cancer care.
About Macmillan Cancer Support: Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. Two million of us are living with and beyond cancer.
For answers, support or just a chat, visit www.macmillan.org.uk| or call Macmillan on 0808 808 0000 - no matter what your question.