Patients with cancer suffer in cold homes

CANCER patients are ‘suffering in the cold’ because they cannot pay their heating bills, a charity has warned.

Many are spending their days in bed because the effects of their treatment leave them feeling the chill but they cannot afford to turn up the heating.

Nearly a third of people living with cancer in Scotland say they feel the cold more for reasons related to their diagnosis and treatment, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Janice Preston, head of Macmillan services in Scotland, said: ‘It’s hard to imagine how people feel when they wake up during a long winter night feeling cold but unable to do anything about it due to their restricted finances.

‘Such a state of living can leave people feeling depressed, isolated and sleep deprived. In turn this can negatively impact recovery and severely diminish their quality of life.’

The charity is raising awareness of a partnership with the energy provider Npower. Its Macmillan Fund caps energy bills and writes off debt for eligible customers who are struggling with bills.

The Scottish Government said: ‘Our £100million Cancer Strategy aims to improve aftercare and we work closely with Macmillan benefits service to help remove some of the financial stress that comes when people are diagnosed and are faced with increased heating costs.’