Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats

ÖPIK JOINS CALL FOR MORE LUNG CANCER NURSES

Lembit meets with Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse

Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, Lembit Öpik, yesterday met with lung cancer specialist nurses from across the UK to hear about the invaluable work they do in supporting patients with the disease. The nurses were in Westminster on the eve of November's Lung Cancer Awareness Month to call on Government to ensure every lung cancer patient has access to a specialist lung cancer nurse.

Lung cancer kills more than 34,000 people every year. More women die from lung cancer than breast cancer and the disease kills more people than breast cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and leukaemia combined.

Commenting, Lembit Opik MP said:

"Lung cancer specialist nurses play a vital role in supporting patients and their families. Unfortunately there just aren't enough nurses compared to the number of patients diagnosed.

"Around 540 people in North Wales are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. I have no doubt that having access to a specialist nurse, like John McPhelim, can make a world of difference for patients and their families."

According to recent figures, on average, there is one lung cancer nurse in England for every 132 people diagnosed with lung cancer, compared to 82 people per every breast cancer nurse.

To bring specialist nurse provision for lung cancer in line with some of the other major cancers, the UK needs an extra 200 lung cancer specialist nurses. The UKLCC believes that every lung cancer patient should have access to a lung cancer specialist nurse: this was a commitment in the Cancer Reform Strategy and recommended in NICE's Implementing Outcomes Guidance for Lung Cancer.

Access to a lung cancer nurse depends largely on where you live at present. Some patients will never see one. It is thought that without access to lung cancer nurses, patients will suffer as they will not have access to the in-depth nursing knowledge, care and support that lung cancer specialist nurses can provide.

With the help of nurses and other key health professionals, the UKLCC'S vision is to double lung cancer survival during the next seven to ten years and eradicate the huge inequalities that exist in lung cancer care. Currently, UK lung cancer survival is one of the worst in Europe with half of all lung cancer patients dying within six months.

Indeed, a recent survey undertaken in partnership with the National Lung Cancer Nurses Forum shows lung cancer nurses in England carry out more than a total of 71,000 hours of unpaid overtime every year - saving employing trusts nearly £1.5m per annum.

"They work tirelessly to support patients when they need it most," Lembit added. "Increasing the numbers of specialist nurses would mean more patients could have the dedicated advice and care they deserve."

Ends/diwedd

Notes to editor:

Lembit Opik MP is pictured with John McPhelim, lung cancer specialist nurse.

Latest data on cancer incidence and mortality - including lung cancer statistics - by Cancer Network can be found in a new report from the National Cancer Intelligence Network. This is available at: http://www.ncin.org.uk/

About the UKLCC

The UK Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC) is a powerful coalition of the UK's leading lung cancer experts, charities and healthcare companies. It is the UK's only multi-interest group in lung cancer and it is the first time that all the major charities with an interest in the disease have joined forces to fight lung cancer. The UKLCC is funded by its members, who are bound by a funding a governance policy. The member healthcare companies and charities provide financial grants and grants in kind to achieve the UKLCC stated goals. Details of our members, governance, aims and objectives, can be found at our website at: www.uklcc.org.uk

For more information about the National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses and their forthcoming 10th Annual Conference visit www.nlcfn.org.uk

*The Department of Health's Cancer Reform Strategy and Improving Outcomes Guidance, together with NICE, all recommend that every lung cancer patient should have access to a specialist nurse.

References:

1. Figures from Cancer Research UK, available at: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/mortality/

2. Figures from Cancer Research UK, available at: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/aboutcancer/statistics/mortality

3. Figures from Cancer Research UK, available at: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/mortality/cancerdeaths/?a=5441

4. Mapping the English cancer clinical nurse specialist workforce. Cancer Nursing Practice. Trevatt P, Petit J, Leary A (2008)

5. Cancer Reform Strategy, p 77. Department of Health 2008. Available at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/dh_081006

6. Implementing Outcomes Guidance for Lung Cancer, p28, 1998

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009184

7. Verdecchia A, Francisci S, Brenner H, Gatta G, Micheli A, Mangone L, Kunkler I, and the EUROCARE-4 working group. Recent cancer survival in Europe: a 2002-02 period analysis of EUROCARE-4 data. Lancet Oncology. Published online August 21, 2007

8. Cancer Research UK Statistics Dept

9. In press - NLCFN SURVEY RESULTS Alison Leary/ Maria Guerin to confirm reference

For further information, please contact:-

Sarah Lee Sarah Bartholomew

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