New group to support more cancer patients

Scotland’s table of sufferers reveals West Lothian near the top

Improving the Cancer Journey is a proactive community-based service backed by the Scottish Government that has already been rolled out in the west of Scotland.

West Lothian Council is joining with others across the Lothians as well as health and care partnerships and Macmillian Cancer Care.

Locally, the service is a partnership between Macmillan Cancer Support, West Lothian Council and West Lothian HSCP. The plan will be rolled out with funding of £440,000.

The West L othian Improving the Cancer Journey project will be part of the Anti Poverty Service and sit alongside the existing Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service and Macmillan Benefits Team.

Two full-time equivalent link workers will be employed by the council this winter. These posts are key roles in the service, providing individualised assessment and support to those affected by cancer.

In a report to the council’s Partnership and Resources PDSP, Elaine Nisbet, AntiPoverty Service Manager described cancer as a “major public health issue”.

Out of a population of around 183,000, the most recent figures suggest that 5,044 people were diagnosed with cancer between 2013 and 2017 and 6,258 were living with cancer on 31 December 2017.

West Lothian compares unfavourably with the rest of Scotland as a whole, with 669 cases versus 644 per 100,000 population.

West Lothian also has a higher death rate. Rates of the illness and deaths from cancer are worse in the west of the county and all evidence suggests that cancer affects poorer areas more than wealthier parts of the county.

The number of people living with cancer in the UK is likely to increase by a third by 2030, reflecting the fact that not only will more people have a cancer diagnosis, but many more will survive and live longer.

Mrs Nisbet’s report said: “Improving the Cancer Journey represents a £ 440,000 investment in cancer services in West Lothian. It will build on the success of the Macmillan Information and Support Service and Macmillan Benefits Team and has the potential to help join up a range of services and organisations.”

The annual report by Macmillan in West Lothian showed that the service had almost 400 drop- in and outreach sessions and dealt with almost 1,000 attendances in the last year.

Outreach services have been developed at St John’s Hospital Dedridge and Craigshill Health Centres and Armadale Partnership Centre.