Need For Cancer Information And Support Expected To Double, UK

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 03 Sep 2010 - 7:00 PDT

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Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK today officially launched a groundbreaking new three-year partnership, which aims to help provide the two million people living with cancer, and their family and friends, increased access to the information and support they need - when they need it, where they need it.

A new online poll by YouGov on behalf of Macmillan highlights that cancer is the biggest healthcare worry for more than half (54%) of the population, which combined with the fact that the charity also expects the current level of people affected by cancer to double to four million1 in 2030, means there will be a huge increase in the need for accessible information and support.

Through their three year partnership, Macmillan and Boots UK want to improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer. Working together, they will develop and provide a number of services for people wanting to know more about cancer. Within the three years, Macmillan and Boots UK aim to increase access and awareness of the services and support Macmillan can provide. As the UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, Boots UK offers invaluable access to a huge number of people through close to 2,500 stores and the millions of customers who visit these stores each week.

Together, Macmillan and Boots UK will deliver more ways to access information about living with cancer to the high street, in local communities and online. For example, Macmillan aims to train 15,000 Boots pharmacists, dispensers and healthcare assistants on the issues surrounding cancer, and in the first year of the partnership2, this will focus on the advice support and services that are available to them through Macmillan. This will build on the specialist training that Boots Healthcare colleagues already receive to enable them to offer even more comprehensive healthcare advice on the high street and in local communities. In the first year, customers will also be able to pick up leaflets and general information about cancer from all Boots stores.

Over a quarter (26%) of the British population say they want to understand more about their friends' and family members' illnesses in order to provide them with greater support. Twenty-nine percent also feel responsible for their family's health and want to find general information in order to know what symptoms to look out for. The partnership between the UK's leading cancer support charity and UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer will give trusted information where it is needed. It is the latest in a range of healthcare services that Boots is providing on the high street and in local communities which enable the public greater access to NHS services.

Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, explains: 'The number of cases of cancer is increasing at a frightening rate so that soon the majority of people in the UK will know someone who is living with the condition. Members of the public need to be able to find out answers to general questions about cancer so they can help support friends and family or have confidence to speak to a health professional about their concerns, which is why we're delighted to be working with Boots UK to help enable us to meet this demand.'

Andrew Caplan, Director of Pharmacy at Boots UK, comments: 'This is the start of a three year partnership between Boots UK and Macmillan Cancer Support which will see us working together to provide more healthcare services to our customers in a discrete, accessible environment across the nation. And, of course, Boots colleagues and friends will be raising thousands of pounds to support Macmillan.'

Boots colleagues are making a commitment to raising funds for Macmillan to improve the lives of people affected by cancer with a company-wide fundraising initiative called Miles for Macmillan, which launched today at Boots on Oxford Street. Boots employees all over the UK are aiming to clock up 290,000 miles in a variety of ways in aid of Macmillan; that's one mile for every person diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year. Customers can go online to support them here.

Note

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1694 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 25 - 26 August 2010. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

1. There are currently two million people living with a cancer diagnosis. This figure is increasing at a rate of 3%1 per year so that by 2030, if the current rate continues, the number will have doubled to four million people2.

2. Staff will be trained by April 2011.

[1] Maddams J, et al. Cancer prevalence in the United Kingdom: estimates for 2008. British Journal of Cancer. 2009. 101: 541-547.

[2] Internal analysis by Intelligence & Research, Corporate Development Directorate.

Source:
Macmillan Cancer Support

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