Cancer Services
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S1M-3387, in the name of Brian Fitzpatrick, on the new CancerBACUP Scotland centre, which has been opened in Glasgow. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates CancerBACUP Scotland on opening its new centre in Glasgow to provide information and support to anyone affected by cancer; recognises that cancer is one of Scotland's biggest public health problems; notes that CancerBACUP's specialist nurses answer more than 50,000 questions a year on all types of cancer and that the new centre will enable the charity to answer an extra 18,000 enquiries every year, and applauds the efforts of the Sunday Mail and people all over Scotland in raising funds for this initiative to support cancer patients and their families and friends.
I am very pleased to have secured this debate—it is the first time that I have secured a members' business debate. The debate is prospective, looking forward to what can be achieved. It unashamedly advertises the work of CancerBACUP in helping people to live with cancer. It also lets me avoid what is some politicians' favourite pastime: kicking out at the print media before or after they kick out at us. Instead, I congratulate the Sunday Mail on its campaigning support for what I trust everyone agrees is an innovative, worthwhile undertaking, which offers hope, support and, most important, help and advice.
We often welcome visitors from organisations that we mention in members' business debates, but to do so this evening would effectively have closed down CancerBACUP's service. The Minister for Health and Community Care will officially open the new CancerBACUP centre in Glasgow on Friday 4 October, at 2.30 pm. Interested members will be most welcome there, although it would help if they could give some advance notice, which will help with the catering arrangements.
Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Scotland. It affects everyone—I suspect that we all know someone who has or had cancer. Every year, there are 15,000 deaths from cancer in Scotland and more than 25,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. Every day, about 70 people are told that they have cancer. Sadly, those figures are on the increase. In the past 10 years, cancer among Scottish men has increased by 5 per cent and by 10 per cent among Scottish women. By the time that they are 74, about one in three Scottish men and one in four Scottish women will have been diagnosed with cancer. The incidence of cancer is higher in Scotland than the European average and survival rates are lower than the European average.
CancerBACUP's mission is to give cancer patients and their families up-to-date information and the practical advice and support that they need to reduce the fear and uncertainty about cancer. That is why, in August, CancerBACUP opened a new information centre in Glasgow, increasing its ability to meet the needs of people affected by cancer.
CancerBACUP was set up in 1985 by a young doctor, Vicky Clement-Jones, who was diagnosed with inoperable ovarian cancer. Despite being a doctor, she found it very difficult to get the information about her illness that she needed. She was determined to end what she called "the conspiracy of silence" surrounding cancer, and she said that her aim was to
"kick cancer out of the closet".
CancerBACUP exists to answer any question on any cancer from people with cancer and their families and friends. It does that in a number of ways. First, it has a freephone helpline, which is staffed by specialist cancer nurses, including one of my constituents. Secondly, it publishes a wide range of booklets and fact sheets on all types of cancer and in response to all types of questions. They include responses to such basic questions as "What do I tell the children?" "How do I talk to someone I know who has cancer?" "How do I cope with cancer?" "How do I travel with cancer?" and, sadly, "How do I die with cancer?" The charity also offers its services via an award-winning interactive website, www.cancerbacup.org.uk. It provides that service freely to people with cancer and their families and friends.
The word "cancer" still causes real fear. Not so long ago, its very mention hushed people's words—it was even seen as shameful and not to be talked about. Even now, people do not always understand the information that they are given when they are told that they have cancer. In many cases, they think only later of the questions that they wished they had asked at the time. Sometimes they just want to talk to someone about how they are feeling, which is where a service such as CancerBACUP comes in.
CancerBACUP helps not only cancer patients, but their relatives and friends, who often feel anxious and, sometimes more important, powerless to help a loved one with cancer. The service helps them to know what to say and how to listen. The telephone helpline gives sufferers from cancer and their relatives, carers and friends the opportunity to talk to a specialist nurse for as long as they like, to ask any question that they wish and to get emotional support and up-to-date information from a skilled team of specialist nurses. Those nurses are supported by around 200 cancer specialists, who help them to provide the highest-quality, most up-to-date information about cancer. CancerBACUP's database is the most comprehensive list of resources, organisations and support groups for patients in the United Kingdom.
The new centre in Glasgow will enable CancerBACUP to help 18,000 more people every year. Last year the service answered more than 54,000 inquiries from people affected by cancer—that is more than 1,000 inquiries a week. We know that demand for the service is and should be high, but we also know that it is not being met fully. In Scotland, there is a great deal of unmet need for information and support among cancer patients, their families and their friends. The new centre will help to meet that need and will be integrated fully with the London centre. Callers dialling the single freephone number may have their calls answered either by a nurse in Glasgow or by a nurse in London.
The work of the Glasgow centre represents a continuation of the hard work of the previous Glasgow office. The number of specialist cancer nurses employed at the Glasgow centre will be augmented by fundraising from five to around 10. The campaign will have the sterling support of the Sunday Mail and, I hope, of people throughout Scotland. Recently, the Sunday Mail launched an appeal to raise £1 million to enable CancerBACUP to employ the extra nurses. I know that the charity and its supporters throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom are grateful to everyone in Scotland who has given—and is giving—money and who has organised fundraising events to help the new centre in Glasgow. I have great pleasure in commending the new service to the chamber.
As joint convener, with Kenneth Macintosh, of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on cancer, I welcome this debate. I welcome in particular Brian Fitzpatrick's emphasis on living with cancer. We must try to communicate the message that many more people are now living with cancer.
All members are likely to have had a friend or relative who died of cancer. Around 20 years ago, my mother-in-law had lung cancer. We were told that she had the disease, but she was not. That was the way in which things were done at the time. We had to pretend that she was fine. Eventually she discovered that we all knew—her response was not good.
I am thankful that we now treat cancer patients with more dignity and respect. I am also delighted that in February next year Maggie's will start to build in the Highlands and that the Macmillan centre at Raigmore hospital is under way. Both Maggie's Centre and Macmillan Cancer Relief are very supportive organisations. With the assistance of those organisations and with the expansion of CancerBACUP, the conspiracy of silence that was referred to is ending—cancer is being kicked out of the closet.
On behalf of the Conservatives, I welcome the opening of the new CancerBACUP service in Glasgow. Many patients do not take in the information that consultants and nurses give them. Some patients tell me that they did not hear anything after the word "cancer" was mentioned. When they get home, the nagging questions that they wish they had asked arise—that applies not just to cancer patients, but to their families. CancerBACUP's freephone helpline is welcome throughout Scotland, especially in remote and rural areas.
It is a cause for concern that the incidence of cancer in Scotland is higher than the European average and that survival rates are lower. It is important that patients are given new drugs that specifically target cancer cells, rather than healthy cells. Many people are frightened to come forward for treatment because of the horrendous side effects that used to be associated with it. We have moved on from that situation. That is why information is so crucial.
I hope that CancerBACUP information is now available in all general practice surgeries and cancer treatment centres throughout Scotland, so that all patients have the opportunity to use the service quietly and peacefully, in their own home, with their own list of questions.
CancerBACUP has recently given the assurance that there is no link between abortion and breast cancer. I am sure that many women phone the helpline to ask for advice about the scare stories that we all hear. I was concerned by the prediction this week that cases of breast cancer will increase by 28 per cent in the next 10 years. We need more information and advice on the alleged link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. We are for ever being told of an alleged link. Women deserve to be treated with dignity and to be told whether a link exists.
The Sunday papers outlined the alleged link between fluoridation of the water supply and cancer. That may be erroneous, but it is enough to make people worry and wonder. In welcoming CancerBACUP, I ask that all is done to help to give advice on cancer prevention as well as curing cancer and advice to reassure women and men who phone up having seen such scare stories in the press.
It gives me great delight to congratulate Brian Fitzpatrick on securing the debate. It also gives me great delight to know finally that CancerBACUP has secured its extended premises in Glasgow. That is because I used CancerBACUP in a previous life as the librarian at Huntershill Marie Curie Cancer Care centre.
Brian Fitzpatrick talked about the fear and the panic that envelop people when they get cancer. Mary Scanlon told us that people often say that, as soon as they hear the word "cancer", they hear no more. In such a situation, information and knowledge about the illness is power, not only for the patient, but for their extended family and friends. That helps the patient to cope with and combat their illness as much as they can.
Information gives people understanding of their illness and does not make them part of the myth of what their illness might be. It also gives people the power to understand the treatment that they are being given and therefore to become fully a part of that treatment and to overcome the myths. As Mary Scanlon said, many folk turn down treatment for fear that the treatment will be worse than the illness.
It is increasingly important that patients know that they have greater chances of living with and beyond cancer and of more years of living with cancer. They must understand what is happening to them throughout those years. Patients and their families need to overcome fear. When I used CancerBACUP in a professional capacity all those years ago, I obtained information not only for patients, but for their families, who often had more fear than the patients. I thank CancerBACUP for the help that it gave me in supporting my patients all those years ago. I give CancerBACUP great congratulations and wish it well in Glasgow.
I welcome the motion and the opportunity to discuss some of the issues that relate to the c-word. As politicians, it behoves all of us to keep talking about that, because it is fundamental to getting across the message that politicians like us keep raising the issues. I thank Brian Fitzpatrick for raising the issue.
Cancer is a disease that affects all of us in one way or another, whether it affects us, members of our family, a neighbour or someone whom we hear about in the news. We need to dispel the terror that continues to surround the word.
We must have openness and access to high-quality information. That is what makes CancerBACUP's development in Glasgow so important. I welcome the increase in high-quality information that will be made available to many cancer sufferers, their families and their friends.
We also need access to high-quality services. I hope that the minister will talk about cancer services, because we are beginning to improve them. We still have a long way to go, but we are making an improvement.
I will talk about breast cancer. That obviously concerns me, as someone who had breast cancer and who is hopefully clear of the disease now. We must continue to get over the message about breast cancer and to encourage women to examine their breasts regularly. If they find anything untoward, they should go to their doctor immediately. It cannot be stressed often enough that if they go to their doctor immediately, nine times out of 10 anything that they have discovered might be benign. It is important to go to the doctor straight away and, if cancer is found, it is important to get early treatment. Women must not be afraid to do that. We must dispel some of the myths and the terror that surround the issue.
I think that Mary Scanlon mentioned the article that appeared in The Scotsman today. I have seen the article and have read about the concerns of Mike Dickson, who is a breast cancer consultant at the Western general hospital. I am familiar with that gentleman. The link between HRT and breast cancer is a difficult question for all of us. When I went to the Western general, the first question that I was asked was, "Are you on HRT?" I was indeed and I was told immediately to stop.
The problem is that the information that is coming through as a result of the research is difficult to quantify. It now looks as if there is clear evidence of links between certain forms of HRT and breast cancer—a couple of research reports have indicated that. The challenge is to reassure women that the research that is being done does not relate specifically to the forms of HRT treatment that are being prescribed in Scotland. We must be careful not to frighten women unnecessarily. I ask the minister to reassure us that women will have access to the highest quality, most recent research information and to the highest quality advice, because many women feel worried.
Many women go on HRT because they have severe symptoms. I do not advocate women to stop taking their HRT, but I urge them to talk to their GPs and their consultants. The Executive has a firm responsibility to give guidance to the health service on the need to make accessible the highest quality information. We must examine closely the research that is being done and invest in commissioning large-scale research in this country on the use of the kinds of HRT that are being prescribed. Women need to know as soon as possible about any link between HRT and cancer.
I congratulate CancerBACUP and I applaud the Sunday Mail for its great campaign, which will benefit many cancer sufferers and their families and friends. Finally, I congratulate Brian Fitzpatrick on securing a debate on his motion.
I congratulate Brian Fitzpatrick on securing the debate. As Rhona Brankin said, it is essential that we continue to talk about cancer and the issues that surround it and that we do not avoid an issue that is sometimes difficult, but tackle it head on and support those who are affected most closely by it.
Cancer is a top priority for the Scottish Executive and for NHS Scotland. There is no doubt that cancer affects us all—either through personal experience, or through family and friends—at some time during our lives. More than 26,000 Scots are diagnosed with cancer each year. Although that figure is predicted to grow, it is important to note that deaths from cancer are not expected to increase at the same rate, which means that more people will survive cancer. That is good news, but it means that more people will live with cancer, so there will be a need for more services at primary, acute and tertiary level. Those services must be centred on the needs of the patient.
Scotland's cancer strategy, "Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change", is being implemented with the backing of £60 million over the three years to the end of 2003-04. The strategy recognises that patients and their carers must be involved as equal partners in decisions about care and treatment. They must be provided with the information that they need, when they need it. As Mary Scanlon said, we must not hide from people the difficult facts and information that they require and should be given. The situation to which Mary Scanlon referred should be something of the past, and I hope that we are more responsive now.
The patient information sub-group of the Scottish cancer group is developing a plan for better access to information. The sub-group itself is not developing more information—there is a lot of that out there, in the form of papers, books, leaflets and so on—but people still do not get the information that they need when they can best take it in. A commitment to patient focus and public involvement in developing a quality assurance framework for patient information will complement the work of the patient information sub-group.
Providing information and advice for patients, as well as securing their input to the continuous development of services, must become a way of life for the NHS in Scotland so that we truly involve people. "Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change" states:
"A patient-centred NHS must not just be a slogan: it must become a way of life."
If we are to improve patients' experiences of their care, we must ensure that health care professionals communicate effectively. We need to ensure that appropriate advice is provided throughout the patient's journey, between and across different care settings.
Rhona Brankin mentioned HRT, which is an important issue that needs to be examined. The research that is available needs to be analysed further. I will ask the department of health to produce sound advice for those women who are at present in that situation.
The topic of this evening's debate is CancerBACUP, which is recognised as a leading national charity in the provision of information and support both to people who are affected by cancer and to their families and friends. CancerBACUP is an invaluable additional complementary source of help for cancer sufferers. As has been said, it provides information on all types of cancer through a freephone number, as well as through booklets and factsheets. It also has an interactive website.
CancerBACUP hopes that its new Glasgow centre will mean that, every year, 18,000 more people from across the UK will be able to access its services. Together with NHS 24—the national NHS service that is coming on stream to provide the public with a 24-hours-a-day health or health care advice service via the telephone—the new CancerBACUP centre will help to ensure better access to information and support for cancer patients, their families and friends. NHS 24 is currently available in Grampian NHS Board area and will eventually operate from three sites across Scotland.
All that work, together with the access framework document that is being prepared by the Scottish cancer group, has the common aim of ensuring that people who are affected by cancer are provided with the information that they need, when they need it.
Will the minister give an assurance that she will advise the people of Scotland about the research that has been done on the potential impacts on health and on cancer of fluoridation of the water supply?
Mary Scanlon will be aware of this week's release of the consultation document on children's oral health, which raises the issue of fluoridation. That is one part of a package of measures that could be introduced to improve oral health throughout Scotland. I believe that this is a time to look at the information on fluoridation. The information is sometimes confusing, but this is an opportunity for us to try to get through that confusion and offer people the right advice on the issue.
I pay tribute to everyone involved in developing cancer services throughout Scotland; congratulate CancerBACUP Scotland on its new centre in Glasgow; and recognise and applaud the Scottish public's generosity in fundraising in this area and in others. I also join Brian Fitzpatrick in commending the role of the Sunday Mail in co-ordinating that fundraising. We can all be proud of the generosity of the Scottish people. Together we can mobilise talent and investment to secure real and lasting improvements in services for people who suffer from cancer, their families and their friends.
Meeting closed at 17:40.