People in London unaware of cancer care support services

People in London unaware of cancer care support services 

Charity launches UK’s first independent map to help people in the region find cancer care and support services using their postcode 

Dimbleby Cancer Caretoday officially launches the cancercaremap.org, after research* finds a significant lack of awareness across London of the support and advice services available following a cancer diagnosis.

New research revealed that over half (52%) of those in the region were unaware of emotional support services, such as talking therapy or support groups, despite studies finding mental ill health can affect up to 49% of people with cancer.¹Nearly three quarters (74%) also lacked awareness of the availability of practical support, such as help with driving or coping with housework.

In addition, the findings highlighted that in London: 

·       Nearly three quarters (74%) of people aren’t aware financial support, such as benefits, and financial planning advice is available 

·       Cancer support and advice services are most likely to be sought by family members with 18% of all those surveyed doing so on a family member’s behalf, compared to only 7% doing so for themselves

·       Nearly a third (31%) of those surveyed online would turn to the internet first in search for support.

Thecancercaremap.orgis now being launched ahead of World Cancer Day (Monday 4^thFebruary), to address this information gap, and provide the UK’s only comprehensive directory of cancer-related services for those living with cancer, their friends and family, carers and clinicians.

The pilot site for the cancercaremap.orgopened in February 2018 and has been developed over the past year with the input of current and former cancer patients, carers and clinical staff. Growing week by week the site features everything from NHS centers, charity and community led groups to local businesses offering special discounts.

Jonathan Dimbleby chair of Dimbleby Cancer Careand creator of the map, explains, “These results illustrate a shocking truth – that vital cancer care and support services are available, yet remain hidden to those who need them. By 2020, one in two people in the UK will have had a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.²That’s 27.6 million people who may not know where to find cancer support groups in their local area.”

“Five years ago, a friend asked me to find cancer services for his wife. I realised very quickly that this was frighteningly difficult to do, and that there was no comprehensive resource to help me. At Dimbleby Cancer Care, we wanted to create our own site to ensure make sure that nobody facing cancer, goes without the care they need; all you would need is an internet connection and a postcode. The site has already grown tremendously over the past year, and we’re now incredibly excited to be officially launching the cancercaremap.org and helping raise awareness across the country of these much-needed services.” 

The research also showed that people in London had trouble sourcing information, with a general lack of knowledge of services available, and lack of information from their GP or health professional on what services were available locally as the top barriers which could prevent people in London from finding cancer care and support services. 

Frazer Scott, 30, from London, who has received support from Dimbleby Cancer Care, said: “After a cancer diagnosis, no one gives you a map for what you’ll go through or what you’ll face when you’re in the eye of the storm. Having one place where you can go to armour yourself – as well as your loved ones – to help deal with what’s coming is invaluable. 

“When you’ve had cancer, you also feel like you want to help others, and it’s so limiting to just say, ‘well, I can recommend this particular charity in London’, which might not be available in their local area,” continues Frazer. “The cancercaremap.org will be incredibly helpful to signpost people nationwide to more localised services which can provide them with vital support throughout their journey.”

Simon Faulkner, founding member and Coordinator of METRO Walnut in Vauxhall said:  “A diagnosis of prostate cancer is bad enough for anyone but for gay or bisexual men, trans women and those that support them, the cancer journey has a set of unique problems that these individuals don’t yet feel many clinicians are comfortable addressing; so it falls to organisations like ours to be inclusive of everyone in our community. The challenge for us in reaching them, is not only that we are a very small charity; we are working against some challenging societal attitudes, a lack of clinical understanding of gay and bisexual men’s lives, and a lack of education among men generally around prostate health and prostate cancer. So, I’m happy that our charity is part of the Cancer Care Map website, reaching everyone in the UK, and alerting those we can help to the notion that such help exists.”

This project has been made possible in part by a grant from Postcode Community Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

To find out more about the medical, health and wellbeing, emotional and practical services that could be available to help you or someone you know, visit cancercaremap.org.

If there is a service that you would like to add to cancercaremap.org get in touch at cancercaremap.org/contact.

Additional UK wide statistics

·       Over half (51%) of those in Britain were unaware of emotional support services, such as talking therapy or support groups, despite studies finding mental ill health can affect up to 49% of people with cancer.¹

·       Almost three quarters (74%) also lacked awareness of the availability of practical support, such as help with driving or coping with housework.

·       Just under three quarters (73%) of people also aren’t aware financial support, such as benefits, and financial planning advice is available 

·       Cancer support and advice services are most likely to be sought by family members with 20% of all those surveyed doing so on a family member’s behalf, compared to only 7% doing so for themselves

·       Over a quarter (28%) of those surveyed online would turn to the internet first in search for support.