Download Work and cancer: the challenge Expert panel round table discussion

National Cancer Survivorship Initiative
Central Hall, Westminster
Monday 21 September 2009
Work and Finance
National Cancer Survivorship Initiative
Work and finance workstream
NCSI conference, 21 September 2009
Barbara Wilson, Workstream Chair
Duleep 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 rehabilitation
The 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
NAVIGATION
EMPLOYERS
4
3
2
1
VALUES
• 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
Employer support is variable
The 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 hardship
The 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?