Charities

Macmillan Cancer Support

I have pledged my support to the Macmillan Cancer Support Campaign which aims to help tackle the financial burden faced by local cancer patients and their families.  At a recent meeting with local Macmillan Cancer Support staff, I had discussions about issues affecting cancer patients in Bournemouth.  There are clearly many people living with cancer in Bournemouth who are suffering financial hardship as a result of their diagnosis.

That is why I applaud the work that Macmillan is doing to highlight this issue and back their call for people diagnosed with cancer to be offered specialist benefits advice to ensure that they and their families get the money to which they are entitled.

I believe that it is unacceptable that over half the number of people with terminal cancer are not getting benefits that are rightfully theirs, either because they don’t know they can claim or because of the complexity of the system.  It is also wrong that so many people have to worry about money at a time when they need to concentrate on their health.  Macmillan are suggesting that one way to ease the financial burden on cancer patients would be to ensure that patients undergoing treatment are exempt from all hospital parking charges and for hospitals to properly advertise their hospital travel costs schemes to cancer patients.  In addition to this, the campaign is encouraging people to take part in the current survey about the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme to improve the way in which it is promoted to NHS staff and patients.

People with cancer who are worried about money can call Macmillan’s free campaign hotline on 0808 500 800, log onto www.macmillan.org.uk/betterdeal or discuss it with their doctor, nurse or local Citizens Advice Bureau.