This Saturday will see the Macmillan Cancer Support team from the Macmillan Horizon Centre in Brighton join the thousands of people celebrating Brighton & Hove Pride.
Speaking about the importance of this event, Macmillan Information Services Manager, Matthew Jarvis, said: “Being a part of the Brighton & Hove Pride celebrations is so important to us and we have 44 volunteers joining us on the march to Preston Park to help spread the word about how Macmillan Cancer Support can help LGBTQ+ communities.
“We understand that a person’s identity and experiences have an impact on all aspects of their lives, especially on something like a cancer diagnosis. We have specific resources to help people from the LGBTQ+ communities, both in our Information & Support Centres, such as the Macmillan Horizon Centre in Brighton, and on our website,Support for LGBTQ+ people affected by cancer (macmillan.org.uk) ensuring we’re here for people with cancer, no matter who they are.”
Recent findings from the 2023 Cancer Patient Experience Survey shows that some groups of people with cancer in England are still statistically significantly more likely to report a poorer experience of NHS care than others, particularly those who are from an ethnically diverse background, the LGBTQ+ community, or those with another long-term health condition as well as cancer.
When finding out they have cancer, people who are LGB (lesbian, gay or bisexual) are statistically significantly more likely to report they were not told sensitively or given enough privacy and were not informed they could have a family member or loved one with them when they received the news of a cancer diagnosis.
Sarah Ruane, Director of Advocacy at Macmillan Cancer Support said, “These figures are yet more evidence that who you are and where you live plays a huge part in the cancer care you receive. It’s unacceptable that some people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTQ+ community, or with an additional long-term health condition are significantly more likely to report poorer overall experiences of cancer care.
“But it doesn’t have to be this way. Everyone diagnosed with cancer across the UK should be receiving support that’s right for their needs. We welcome the government’s commitment to producing a long-term plan for health, and it’s essential that this type of evidence, demonstrating the unacceptable variations in the quality of people’s experiences of cancer care, is considered as part of the Darzi review of NHS performance.”