We've sent our open letter to the new Prime Minister, but you can still add your name to show your support for children and young people with cancer and their families.
The General Election results are in, and there's been a lot of change - a new Prime Minister, new UK Government, and new priorities.
But where do children and young people with cancer fit in? Having cancer at a young age is different and the impact is unique. It brings distinct and complex needs which often aren’t understood or acknowledged by the systems around them - and we hear the challenges that children, young people and families experience loud and clear every day.
That's why as the UK's leading charities for children and young people with cancer, we're standing together, asking our new Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to prioritise the needs of all children and young people with cancer.
They can't wait. They deserve better.
Will you stand with us and show your support for children and young people with cancer by adding your name to our letter?
- Click here to read our letter to the Prime Minister
Dear Prime Minister and Secretary of State,
Congratulations on your election. We know you will have many priorities to address, but together as leading cancer charities and alongside our supporters, we’re asking that you stand with us and prioritise the needs of the over 4,000 children and young people under the age of 25 who are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK, and many more already living with and beyond cancer from this young age.
Having cancer at a young age is different than as an adult. It’s less common, is best treated in specific specialist centres, and the impact on children, young people and their families is unique both physically and mentally. They often face unacceptable delays before diagnosis, and go through multiple GP visits. During treatment, children and young people miss education, parents quit jobs, and social lives stop. Financial burdens are massive, forcing almost impossible choices. After treatment, support can disappear which can leave young cancer patients and their families alone. The list goes on, and we hear this loud and clear every day.
These distinct and complex needs aren’t fully understood or even acknowledged by the systems around them. And so, there are barriers to support, moments when voices aren’t heard and times when the vital help children, young people and their families need just isn’t there.
It’s no secret that things need to change.
Together, as a sector, as a system, as a society, we’re ready to make it happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need a collective approach and for everyone to play their part, so we can make ground-breaking change.
We need you, the UK Government, to drive this change with us.
From before the point of diagnosis, throughout treatment, to the years following, there needs to be a dedicated plan for children and young people with cancer. They need holistic, tailored care. They need the financial barriers to accessing treatment and support removed. They need research that continues to drive advances in treatment. Children, young people and their families need to no longer be consumed by the burdens of housing, transport, education, employment, or debt when going through the most disruptive time of their lives.
They deserve better.
As a sector, we’ve been working on the solutions to these challenges, and now we hope you’ll work with us – to truly transform the landscape of care and support, and improve experiences and outcomes for all children and young people with cancer.
We know you will be very busy, but children and young people with cancer, and their families, just can’t wait.
We look forward to working with you on these important issues.
With best wishes,
Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive, Young Lives vs Cancer
Ashley Ball-Gamble, Chief Executive, CCLG
Frank Fletcher, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust
Kate Collins, Chief Executive, Teenage Cancer Trust
Helen Rowntree, Chief Executive, Blood Cancer UK
Richard Davidson, Chief Executive, Sarcoma UK
Henny Braund MBE, Chief Executive, Anthony Nolan
Dr Michele Afif, CEO, The Brain Tumour Charity
Will Burchell, CEO, Bone Cancer Research Trust
Sarah White, CEO, Supershoes
Roxanne Lawrance, Chief Executive, Teens Unite Fighting Cancer
Phil Martinez, Charity Manager, OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity
Richard Driffield, CEO, The Joshua Tree
Dr Helen Spoudeas, Founder, SUCCESS Charity & consultant paediatric neuro endocrinologist
Dr Jen Kelly, CEO, Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust & General Practitioner
Louise Towse, CEO, PASIC
Johnny Barton, Chair, Cancer Awareness for Teens & Twenties (CATTs)
Emily Wragg, Chief Executive, Candlelighters
Nikki Bowdidge, Chief Executive Officer, The Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation
Gail Jackson, CEO, Solving Kids Cancer
Menai Owen-Jones, CEO, LATCH Welsh Children's Cancer Charity
Dan Knowles, Chief Executive, Brain Tumour Research