Take action to unlock access to trials and treatments

Financial and cultural backgrounds as well as geographical location are all factors that play a part in accessing clinical trials.

Shockingly, despite the fact that certain types of blood cancer disproportionately effect people from ethnic minorities, people who fall under this category are less likely to know about the opportunities clinical trials present. This neglect is robbing opportunities from those who need them most.

CAR-T therapy requires a minimum hospital stay of one month, which is disproportionately impacting people from certain locations – in Scotland, there are only two centres that provide CAR-T treatment. Unreasonable travel not only impacts family life, work and income, but it increases vulnerability to infection.

• Only 35% of respondents with blood cancer in England and 20% in Wales had discussed clinical trial research opportunities with their healthcare team.
• Less than a third of those from ethnic minority communities reported being offered the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial. Similarly, black patients were shown to be significantly underrepresented in early-phase clinical trials for myeloma.

We have set out recommendations for universities, the NHS, government departments, funding agencies and blood cancer charities to streamline UK drug and treatment approval processes and address the barriers preventing certain groups from accessing clinical trials.

Whether you are a healthcare professional or someone affected by blood cancer, you have the power to take action today.

Wherever you live in the UK, you can inform your political representative about these issues 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.