Ben Lake MP recently attended a Parliamentary reception hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support to discuss their Save Our Support initiative, a campaign to ensure that every nation in the UK has a fully funded and sustainable cancer workforce in order to support the millions of people living with cancer across the UK.
The health service is currently facing a shortage of nurses which is having a damaging effect on frontline services and the care patients receive here in Ceredigion.There are nursing vacancies across the workforce and waiting times for cancer treatment and diagnosis are getting ever longer. Ben Lake MP is supporting Macmillan’s campaign to ensure that constituents in Ceredigion have access to the fantastic nurse specialists that will support them through a very difficult time in their lives.
The most recent Macmillan Workforce Census found worrying trends which showed high vacancy rates, an aging workforce and an increased number of cancer nurses working in more junior positions. More than two thirds of Cancer Nurse Specialists have told Macmillan they are not getting the support they need. That’s because the health service is buckling under increased pressure.
Ben Lake MP said:
“At the moment, the hard truth is that there simply aren’t enough Cancer Nurse Specialists with the right skills to meet the needs of the growing cancer population which is set to reach 4million by 2030. I want constituents in Ceredigion to get the support they deserve, and so that is why I will continue to work with Macmillan Cancer Support on their campaign to ensure local people get the right support.”