National Cancer Survivorship Initiative

Central Hall, WestminsterMonday 21 September 2009

Work and Finance

National Cancer Survivorship Initiative

Work and finance workstream

NCSI conference, 21 September 2009

Barbara Wilson, Workstream ChairDuleep Allirajah, Workstream Support

Work and cancer: the scale of the problem

The problem

• 90,000 working age people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year

• 774,000 people of working age in the UK have had a cancer diagnosis

The solutions

• We have reviewed the evidence and identified the gaps

• We still do not know enough about the size and scale of the problem

• Macmillan will be commissioning a large scale population study on work and cancer in 2010

Information and advice about work

The problem

• Less than 50% of patients are advised by cancer doctors about impact of treatment on their work

• Patients aren’t routinely offered information about returning to work by the NHS

The solutions

• We are working with the Cancer Action Team to ensure that information prescriptions help people returning to work

• We will be developing and testing tools to aid more effective assessment and signposting from the point of diagnosis

Vocational rehabilitationThe problem

• NHS rehabilitation services are focused on hospital discharge

• DWP services are focused on the long-term sick

• Many employees have no access to occupational health services

The solutions

• We have developed a vocational rehabilitation model for cancer

• We plan to run vocational rehabilitation pilots in 2010

• We have also commissioned a study to explore whether DWP programmes work for cancer patients

Vocational rehabilitation model

1

2

3

4• Case managed approach

• Rehabilitation/living well• Self management

• Post-treatment•Drop-in

• Signposting• Face to face

• Focussed interaction

• Early information and support

• For employers, professionals and

patient

EMPLOYERS

VALUES

Employer support is variableThe problem

• Only 50% of patients are offered flexible working arrangements

• 80% of employers are unaware that cancer is covered by the DDA

The solutions

• Macmillan’s Working Through Cancer pilot will be testing a toolkit for employers

• We will be developing a strategy to raise employer awareness of information and tools

• We are planning to commission a study to explore the specific challenges faced by small businesses

Financial hardshipThe problem

• 92% of people with cancer have suffered loss of income and/or higher costs

• Among under 55s, the average fall in income was 50%

• 77% of cancer patients receive no information about welfare benefits

The solutions

• Ensure information prescriptions support people with financial needs

• Test tools to aid assessment of financial need and signposting to advice services

• Develop policy options in light of Macmillan’s study into the drivers of financial hardship

Questions

• From what you have heard today, what is most important initiative we are undertaking?

• What, if anything, has been left out?

• What will be the difficulties in implementation?

• How can we overcome these difficulties?

• What other points come out of this discussion?