Campaign success stories

In May 2019, we received a huge campaign win when the Treasury Select Committee backed Macmillan’s call for the introduction of a legal Duty of Care on the financial services sector. In a new report, which was about consumer access to financial services, the Committee stated:

'If the FCA is unable to enforce such behaviour in firms under its current rule book and principles, the Committee would support a legal duty of care.'

Macmillan Cancer Support has been calling for this since 2016 in order to ensure that the financial shock of cancer doesn’t turn into a crisis.

We’re delighted that the Treasury Select Committee, an influential Committee in Parliament, will seek to hold both the Government and the Financial Conduct Authority to account in delivering positive change for people living with cancer.

In summer 2019, Macmillan will launch an exciting and moving booklet. It focuses on real-life stories, delves into the financial impact of cancer and addresses the urgent need for a legal Duty of Care. Sign up to become a campaigner so you can take further action and help us make the Duty of Care a reality.

Every day we hear from people who are having trouble getting travel insurance cover. In 2017 we launched our ‘Give us a break’ campaign to raise awareness of the issues that people with cancer tend to experience when they’re trying to get travel insurance.

2017

July

More than 400 people shared their experience of accessing travel insurance with us, which gave a valuable insight into the problems many people face before, during or after treatment.

What's next?

We're continuing to campaign to make sure people with cancer can access clear and fairly priced travel insurance policies.

Our campaign aims to make sure everyone gets the support they need to cope with the financial impact of cancer.

2017

January

Many people aged 65 and over with cancer rely on Attendance Allowance for help with things they can’t manage themselves, like bathing, dressing or getting around.

• We worked with campaigners to help them share their experiences of Attendance Allowance, to demonstrate to the government just how important it is that people can access this vital benefit.
• Our voices were heard. Having listened to Macmillan and others’ concerns, the Government dropped proposals to make changes to the benefit Attendance Allowance.

February

• We published our No Small Change report, highlighting the extent of the problem: four in five people with cancer are £570 a month worse off as a result of their diagnosis.
• The report sets out recommendations for what UK governments, financial services firms, health bodies and the NHS can do to better support people.

June

• We released In The Balance, a report outlining the banking sector’s vital role in supporting people with cancer.
• We held a reception in Parliament to launch the report, bringing politicians, industry experts, and organisations representing customers together to discuss what can be done. 

July

• We launched our ‘Give us a break’ campaign, asking for people who have or have had cancer to share their experience of getting travel insurance with us.
• Over 400 people responded, strengthening our evidence base so that we can continue our campaign to make sure people with cancer can access clear and fairly priced travel insurance policies. 

November

• We launched our ‘Banking on change’ campaign calling for banks and building societies to help their customers to manage the cost of cancer. 
• With Macmillan Nurse Miranda, we’ve written a letter to UK Finance urging them to support our campaign for organisations in the banking sector to have a legal duty of care towards their customers.
• Over 20,000 people added their support to Miranda’s letter.

What next?

We're continuing to campaign to make sure everyone gets the help they need to cope with the money worries that cancer can bring.

Too many people across the UK are not getting the support they need when treatment ends, and this needs to change.

In 2017 we campaigned to raise awareness of the different support needs people have once treatment ends.

Autumn 2017 – Macmillan’s World Biggest Coffee Morning in Parliament

• 2300 people invited their local MP to Macmillan’s World‘s Biggest Coffee Morning to learn more about the challenges people face after cancer treatment.
• 99% of MPs in England were invited by you, and a record-breaking 126 MPs came along to meet campaigners like Frances and hear more about the challenges people face after treatment.

What next?

• Read Frances’s blog and find out more about the life after treatment campaign.

We have campaigned with the belief that at the end of life, everyone should be able to die in the place and manner of their choosing.

2017

January

The Government committed to deliver high quality, personalised care for everyone at the end of life; a massive campaign success won by our campaigners in 2016. Our priority has been to keep this commitment high on the agenda and bring it to reality.

March

• As part of the End of Life Care Coalition, we found that nearly half of draft local health plans in England had no mention or little detail of how end of life care would be improved.

September

• Nearly 900 of you shared your stories of care at the end of life with us.

December

• Macmillan research revealed the situation was even worse for people from the poorest areas in England at the end of life.
• Our report, ‘The Final Injustice’, showed that cancer patients from the poorest areas are 18% more likely to die in hospital than those from the least deprived areas, and had around 15,000 more emergency hospital admissions in the final year of life.

What next?

We're continuing to campaign for better end of life care and support for people with cancer at the end of life.

It's now been three years since the government promised to deliver high quality, personalised care for everyone at the end of life. Join us and take action this summer to ensure this happens for people living with cancer.

2017

November

Evidence from the Wales Cancer Patient Experience Survey showed that many people are not getting the information they need to understand their cancer treatment.

In response, Macmillan Wales created Your Cancer Care in Wales, an information guide to help people with cancer find the information they need to understand cancer treatment in Wales. 

• Over 65 champions across Wales signed up to champion the guide; with over 500 downloads of the guide in its first week.
• We’ll be continuing to work with our champions to improve access to treatment information in Wales.