John Baron MP attends Macmillan Cancer Support Parliamentary reception

John at the reception

MP says patients must be treated with dignity and respect

At a Parliamentary reception organised earlier this week by Macmillan Cancer Support, John Baron MP met people affected by cancer who shared their own experiences and raised the importance of being listened to throughout their journey. Macmillan staff at the event also shared their stories about caring for people living with cancer, and highlighted the importance of feeling supported and engaged in order to deliver the best possible care.

Macmillan have recently released a report – The People behind Cancer Care: Patient and Staff Stories – emphasising the importance of putting people at the heart of cancer care by hearing from cancer patients and staff alike.

Ahead of the general election in May, Macmillan is calling on all political parties to make a commitment in their manifestos to ensure that all patients, including cancer patients, are treated with the highest levels of dignity and respect, and that staff are supported to deliver this.

John said,

“NHS staff work very hard to deliver high-quality care to their patients. However, Macmillan’s report shows there is still room for improvement – patients must be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

“The patients I met at the event also underlined the importance of earlier diagnosis, as the earlier a cancer is detected, the more successfully it can be treated. Late diagnosis is a key reason why our survival rates lag well behind European averages. However, NHS England’s recent decision to place the local NHS’ one-year cancer survival rates at the top of the ‘Accountability Tree’ will promote earlier diagnosis. This could quite literally save thousands of lives.”