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December 2008
Hello from the team… and welcome to this month’s Campaigns Update, which details news and progress of Macmillan’s campaigns, policy and public affairs. Don’t forget, you can become a member of our e-campaigner network and receive regular newsletters and up to the minute campaign actions by visiting our website. And lastly, have a very Merry Christmas! |
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Freeze out fuel poverty
We are talking with Ministers and MPs who have responsibility for this issue across the UK. Macmillan’s network of e-campaigners have been emailing their MPs and local papers to raise awareness further and show how important this issue is to cancer patients across the UK. In Wales, widespread coverage of the campaign has led to a question and a Statement of Opinion being raised in the Welsh Assembly. We have also responded to the Welsh Assembly Government announcement of a review of fuel poverty strategy. We are calling on them to ensure that Welsh cancer patients are included in the priority groups qualifying for help to insulate and improve the energy efficiency of their homes under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES). The Scottish Parliament has heard a statement on fuel poverty, which addresses the issues facing vulnerable customers, including cancer patients. Media and public affairs activity will build on momentum in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.
Email your MP, or if you live in Wales, you can also email your AM, to let them know how important this issue is to cancer patients in your area. You can also send a pre-prepared letter to your local papers to raise awareness further. Cerys Roberts | Campaigns Officer
UK-wide campaign success on prescriptions Hot on the heels of Gordon Brown’s announcement to abolish prescription charges for cancer patients in September, the following week the Northern Ireland health minister announced plans to abolish prescription charges for everyone. From January 2009 the cost of prescriptions in Northern Ireland will be reduced to £3 per prescription and will be free of charge by April 2010. From April 2009 cancer patients in England will be eligible for a medical exemption certificate, entitling them to free prescriptions for five years. We will be working with the government to ensure that a fair system is implemented for cancer patients and that guidance is given to health professionals. Our campaign has already led to the abolition of prescription charges in Wales in April 2007. Scotland is phasing them out by April 2011. The latest announcements in Northern Ireland and England mean that cancer patients across the UK will no longer have to bear the burden of paying for prescription charges. Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign – together we are a force for change. Michelle Rowley | Campaigns Manager Co-payments and NICE reform On 4 November 2008, Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, published proposals to make more drugs available within the NHS, particularly for those with a terminal illness. A report, published by Professor Mike Richards, ‘Improving access to medicines for NHS patients’, outlines proposals to widen access to drugs within the NHS by reforming the NICE system, and to reduce the number of patients who would need to pay for treatment privately. The report also confirms that if a patient does choose to pay for additional private drugs then their NHS treatment should not be withdrawn. If all of the recommendations presented in the report by Professor Mike Richards are implemented quickly and in full, many more patients should get their cancer drugs paid for by the NHS. Rachel Rowson │ Policy and Public Affairs Manager Co-payments in Wales The Welsh Assembly Government has set up an expert group to look at the issues around funding drugs on the NHS that are not approved by NICE, and the role of the All Wales Medicine Strategy Group (AWMSG). Both NICE and the AWMSG assess whether a medicine is clinically effective, offers good value for money and should be used by the NHS. Macmillan Cancer Support will be working to influence the review. Jennifer Mitchell │Policy Analyst Better cancer care in Scotland As a result of Macmillan’s lobbying, the Scottish Government’s cancer action plan, Better Cancer Care, published in October 2008, has a strong focus on supporting people living with or beyond cancer. Key Macmillan calls, including the establishment of a Government working group on survivorship and a commitment to making referral to benefits and financial advice a systematic part of a person with cancer’s journey, are included in the plan. The Government also pledged to invest £500,000 into our services, so we can extend our benefits and financial advice network, and trial a project to help people who have had a cancer diagnosis, get back to work. We will now work closely with the Government to make sure all elements of the plan are implemented effectively, and that people affected by cancer in Scotland receive the support they need. Kate Seymour │ External Affairs Manager CRS - one year on It’s one year since the Government published the Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS), which sets out the future direction of cancer services in England until 2012. Disappointingly, during this period the implementation of the initiatives that make up the CRS has been decidedly mixed. While progress has been made on most of the national level initiatives, Macmillan knows that the success of the CRS will largely be decided by how well it is implemented on the ground. Our regional teams have reported far too many cancer networks, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities have not performed when it comes to implementing CRS initiatives. For most of them, their work in 2008 has been overshadowed by the Darzi Next Stage Review. Next year, we want to see a change in approach when it comes to the CRS. We have made these suggestions in a paper to Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director and we hope they will be adopted by him. His first annual report on the CRS is expected to be published before the end of the year. Macmillan will ensure that we keep up the pressure on CRS implementation in 2009 to ensure that people affected by cancer have a better experience in future. Laura Thomas │ Policy Analyst Survivorship in Wales 
In October Macmillan Cancer Support held a conference in Wales for people affected by cancer. The conference was used as an opportunity to explore how the lives of people living with or beyond cancer could be improved. Breakout groups looked at the issues of information, practical support, emotional support and getting back to work. Macmillan will feed back these ideas to the Welsh Assembly Government, and will continue to push for the improvement of services and support for people affected by cancer. Jennifer Mitchell │Policy Analyst Hospital car parking campaign in England To help our campaign for free hospital parking for cancer patients in England, we are looking to hear from Macmillan professionals. If you are aware of how your hospitals car parking policy affects cancer patients attending treatment, whether good or bad, we’d like to hear from you. Up to four local campaigns are due to start at the beginning of 2009. So watch this space as it could be your area.
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