Surrey Local News

08/03/10 £8 Million To Fund Campaigns - Early diagnosis of cancer

This investment follows the Prime Minister’s pledge to ensure that all patients with cancer symptoms receive their results from diagnostic tests within one week.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are being invited to bid for up to £100,000 to run campaigns targeted at one or more of the three biggest killers; breast, colorectal and lung cancer. As part of the campaign they will measure the impact so that the most effective can be repeated across the country.

PCTs will be able to use the money for a whole range of initiatives including advertising campaigns, outreach work and making more public information available.

Health Minister Ann Keen said: “As a nurse I know that to give patients the best chance of survival we need to catch cancer early.

“Our aim is to save up to 10,000 extra lives a year through early diagnosis and intervention.

“These local campaigns will encourage patients with symptoms to seek help earlier and builds on the Prime Minister’s recent pledge to give patients the results of their diagnostic tests within one week.

“To make the move from good to great, the NHS must focus more on early intervention.”

National Cancer Director Mike Richards said: "This money will enable the NHS locally to raise awareness of the symptoms of the biggest cancer killers and to encourage patients to visit their GP earlier.

“Local campaigns and investment in new diagnostic services will also encourage GPs to 'play it safe' and refer patients for tests if they have any doubt."

Cancer Research UK Chief Executive Harpal Kumar said: “This campaign is part of a critically important programme of work designed to ensure that patients in the UK have their cancers detected as early as possible.

“All too often cancer is found at a late stage when it’s harder to treat. For example, 90 per cent of bowel cancers can be cured if treated early but only 13 per cent are detected at the earliest stage.

“Cancer Research UK is delighted to be working with the Department of Health and NHS on this campaign and the broader National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI).

“The projects that are funded at PCT level will have the potential to make a big impact on the number of people dying from the disease – helping to boost cancer survival to levels comparable with the best in Europe.”

The Department of Health will work in partnership with the National Cancer Action Team and Cancer Research UK to support PCTs in developing, running and evaluating their campaign. For example the department will provide help with cost effective buying of advertising and will design standard material.

PCTs will be given a pack of social marketing examples including the Doncaster Cough Campaign which promoted awareness that a persistent cough could mean lung cancer.

The campaign used a number of innovative ideas including a ‘coughing’ bus shelter, where sound chips coughed repeatedly to draw attention to the symptom and succeeded in increasing the proportion of patients diagnosed early from 11% to 19%.

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