Take action for the best care
Because everyone with blood cancer should only receive the best care.
> UK Blood Cancer Action Plan
The problem: inconsistent care
There are many reasons why people with blood cancer are not receiving the best care possible.
Some hospitals have cutting-edge facilities, but others don't. This means people with blood cancer might have to travel far for tests or even miss out on treatments.
Our 2024 survey of UK adults diagnosed with blood cancer in the last five years found that 60% experienced at least one challenge attending in person appointments. People with an income below the national average reported increased anxiety or emotional discomfort while travelling.
Additionally, hospitals face funding challenges and struggle to share patient information or communicate effectively with their patients, which results in patients not understanding what support is available to them.
The findings: what people affected by blood cancer told us
- “It’s a 34-mile round trip to get to the hospital. If I depended on public transport, it would take me all day, practically. I don’t know why they cannot use more local resources to take the bloods.” – Person with blood cancer in Scotland
- 55% of people affected by blood cancer told us that the role of the multidisciplinary team was not communicated clearly to them at the start of their care journey.
Refer your patients to us
To shape a workforce that is future-proof, healthcare professionals need an established route to patient support referral. That's why we've developed a referral service that will provide people affected by blood cancer with the support they need.
The action: write to your political representative
We have set out a number of recommendations for the NHS, such as encouraging blood cancer teams to direct people with blood cancer towards support services like ours, so they can take an active role in their care.
Blood cancer survival in the UK is being overshadowed by inconsistent care. You have the power to take action today and create a brighter future for people with blood cancer.
Wherever you live in the UK, you can inform your political representative about these issues today using our tool, ensuring your letter reaches the right person with the most effective wording. If you hear back from your local representative, please forward any responses onto our policy team.
Because anyone can take action today that could make a difference tomorrow.
UK Blood Cancer Action Plan at a glance
Digest a summary of our report which includes our key findings and recommendations for health and government bodies across the UK.
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The Blood Cancer Action Plan has been funded by BMS, Gilead, J&J, MSD, Novartis and Takeda in 2023 and 2024. These organisations provided funding but had no further input.