Tag Archives: cancer

Charity & CSR, News

Arrowxl Raise Nearly £3k for macmillan Cancer Support

ArrowXL, the UK’s largest and longest established 2-person home delivery specialist have taken part in the incredible Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning, with colleagues from all over the UK hosting their own events.

From Friday 30th September to Tuesday 4th October employees rallied together to organise activities from bake-offs to raffles and cake sales.  The team have raised over £2,638 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

In 2021, Macmillan estimated that nearly 2.4m people were reached by their services and they also helped millions more through their information and support resources. ArrowXL, like many businesses, is fundraising to ensure these valuable services and resources continue to be available.

 

Craig Kavanagh, Sales Director at ArrowXL commented: “we’re extremely proud of our team for putting in so much effort and raising a great amount of money for the ‘World’s biggest coffee morning’.  There are 3 million people in the UK living with cancer and this incredible initiative has raised £2,070,329 this year.  Well done everyone for getting involved.”

 

Health, News, North of England

Merseyside has worst liver cancer rates in the North West

Cases of liver cancer across Merseyside are 75% higher than the national average, according to data collated by North West Cancer Research. 

The charity, which is dedicated to prioritising the cancer needs of people living in the North West and North Wales, has identified a number of concerning trends among the region’s cancer rates as part of a wider report. 

The study assessed the impact of 25 key cancers across the North West and 37 cancers across North Wales. Analysts found that, of the cancers included in the project, the North West over-indexed on 16 of them. This included liver cancer, for which the region as a whole has rates 19% higher than the rest of England.  

The report illustrates how regional inequalities are putting the residents of these areas at an increased risk of developing cancer. Residents in the North West of England are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than in the rest of the UK. 

North West Cancer Research found that cancer rates can vary widely between communities even in the same county. For example, Sefton records the highest cancer rate in the Merseyside area at 22% above the national average, while in Liverpool City Centre the rate is 10% below the regional average.  

After liver cancer, the top five cancers most prevalent in Merseyside are: 

  • Lung, trachea & bronchus: 59% higher than the national average 
  • Oesophagus: 39% higher than the national average 
  • Bladder: 36% higher than the national average 
  • Stomach: 35% higher than the national average
  • Head and neck: 32% higher than the national average

Cancer rates in Merseyside, which is the most deprived county in the North West, have remained largely static for several years. From 2019 to 2020 the overall rate of cancer worsened by 4% while from 2020 to 2021 the rate of total cancer deaths improved slightly by 4% – although this was still 15% higher than the national average. 

North West Cancer Research continues to investigate the connections between high levels of deprivation and correspondingly high levels of cancer in order to achieve the goal of cancer-free communities. 

Alastair Richards, North West Cancer Research CEO, said: “By assessing the cancer challenges in the North West at a granular level, we’ve been able to identify the most acute issues facing the region. Unfortunately, this has also shown that not only is the North West falling well behind the national average in many areas but the static nature of the cancer rates proves that this is an entrenched problem that requires urgent attention.  

“In order to improve the situation, it’s clear that we all need to better understand the region’s complex and multifaceted issues which are closely connected with high poverty levels. By highlighting the link between deprivation and cancer rates, we hope to shine a light on how these two factors are intertwined and how they need to be tackled together if either is going to be solved. This clear correlation further showcases the necessity for the government’s pending health inequalities whitepaper to provide the crucial support that our most disadvantaged communities require. 

“Cancer as a disease can seem broad, ubiquitous and arbitrary, but in fact many of the challenges it poses are very specific and localised. By better understanding the challenges being faced at a community level, we can spot where further research is needed and identify what evidence-led interventions each location needs.”  

The data collected by North West Cancer Research recorded certain cancers that impact women at a higher rate in the North West. This included cervical cancer, with rates 19% above the national average regionally and with Cumbria alone recording rates that are 35% higher. Similarly, ovarian cancer rates are 12% higher compared to England as a whole and rates of breast cancer, which is the most common cancer in the North West, are 4% higher.  

Alastair added: “The chance of developing cancer should have nothing to do with where a person lives. To make this statement a reality, we’re committed to supporting research projects and awareness campaigns that will break the link between location and the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis.  

“We’ve invested more than £45 million in research projects in the last two decades alone, all of which has been aimed at finding new cures and improving care for anyone in the North West coping with cancer.” 

For more information about North West Cancer Research, visit www.nwcr.org, and to read its 2022 North West Regional Report, click here.   

News

RedArc adds specialist cancer organisation to its partner panel

Specialist cancer organisation, , has been added to RedArc’s panel of additional services expanding the range of additional support that the RedArc nurse can offer, particularly with issues relating to the workplace.

About Working With Cancer

Working With Cancer is a social enterprise aimed at providing coaching and training services to employees to help them address the physical and psychological impact of cancer and how that may impact them in the workplace. The coaching typically covers handling difficult conversations with employers, dealing with changes at work, making ‘reasonable adjustments’, as well managing side effects whilst working. The organisation was founded by HR professional, Barbara Wilson, who herself was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and therefore has the benefit of understanding both the employee’s and employer’s perspective.

Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc said: “From earlier detection to working later in life, the number of people of working age in the UK who have cancer is set to climb and therefore we want to ensure that we offer the best help to enable individuals to manage cancer and work.

“Providing long-term expert medical and emotional support from our core team of nurses will always be at the heart of what we do. However, over the course of a cancer diagnosis, treatment and beyond, it’s important that we have specialist partners to whom we can refer an individual for additional support. Those looking to manage cancer and work have quite specific needs, and Working with Cancer is a great addition to our specialist partners with their expertise in this area.”

Barbara Wilson, Founder and Director of Working with Cancer said: “Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with cancer so we can expect the incidence of cancer in the workplace to increase. It’s essential that employees and managers are knowledgeable, equipped, and ready to respond, as being able to work is something that most cancer survivors want to do for many reasons, not least because it provides financial independence, but mainly because it provides a sense of normality. We’re very pleased to work with RedArc to extend our support even wider.”

To learn more about RedArc, visit http://www.redarc.co.uk/

Health, Healthcare News, News

Insensitivities of others, causes upset to cancer survivors, says RedArc

Even the most positive thinking of cancer survivors would struggle to deal with some of the reactions of others when dealing with their illness, according to research undertaken by RedArc Nurses. Although unlikely to be deliberately hurtful, even unintentionally tactless remarks can cause stress, anxiety and emotional consequences for individuals who are already dealing with the impact the disease has on their personal and professional lives.

During the course of its regular interactions with around 650 people with cancer each year, RedArc logged some of the following comments that friends, family, colleagues and employers have made to those with cancer:

  • “You are cancer free now so you should be happy”
  • “Will you lose your hair?”
  • A husband said to his wife that he is finding her illness and treatment ‘very draining’
  • People telling horror stories about treatments and how they saw others suffer in the past
  • Other people becoming very emotional and needing the person with cancer to support them instead of the other way round.
  • People saying that the person with cancer will be fine and that they look so well, when they are feeling incredibly unwell

Many of these comments and situations arose from interactions from those who were well-meaning, but where understanding and tact would have been considerably more helpful. However, it shows that many people, even some very close to the person with cancer, can feel uncomfortable discussing the disease which can then lead to unconscious insensitivities. In such situations, it can be invaluable for the person with cancer to have a professional to talk to.

Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc said: “For some people, dealing with cancer is a very personal issue and they may choose to keep their diagnosis, treatment and progress to themselves. Dealing with the disease itself is emotionally draining and so when people do share their news and it is returned with negativity or insensitivity, these comments can be hard to shake off – even if they are outnumbered by supportive messages from others. And where someone is well supported, they may deal with numerous emails, texts and messages and that can in itself be overwhelming; so for all of these reasons, it’s clear to see why people with cancer need their own, independent support system.”

Independent support

Third-party emotional support is available via some individual and group protection products, and directly from some intermediaries and other affinity groups, and can provide a medically trained individual who is able to provide emotional support throughout a cancer diagnosis and treatment. This includes help in preparing for difficult conversations with children and other family members, through to dealing with colleagues and employers. RedArc nurses can also help individuals evaluate their return-to-work options and suggest coping strategies and adaptations that can be made in their working practices.

All of the emotional support is underpinned by medical expertise and the understanding of individual conditions and their related implications. Specific medical support includes help in navigating the NHS and private healthcare systems, the provision of a wealth of information from DVDs to factsheets, signposting to specialist charities and self-help groups, and sourcing medical equipment & aids.

Christine Husbands concluded:

“Unfortunately we’re never going to be able to eradicate the comments made by others but it is possible to put in place support that helps someone with cancer deal with difficult situations as and when they arise.”

Employee Benefits, Health

Lifestyle can affect cancer, yet one in three employers don’t offer support for the physical wellbeing of staff: research from GRiD

Research from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk industry shows that 34% of employers don’t offer any support for the physical wellbeing of staff. Changes to lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancer, so support for physical wellbeing can be an important way for employers to help their staff in terms of prevention.

Furthermore, only one in five (20%) employers offer initiatives to encourage staff to be more active to improve their health, and only 14% offer training on specific areas such as smoking-cessation, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle.

Supporting the physical wellbeing of staff is integral to full, holistic support of staff, and there are many ways that employers can do this. From encouraging lunchtime walks and standing meetings, to providing access to specialists to advise on nutrition and health.

Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, says,

‘The options available for employers to support the physical wellbeing of staff are constantly being developed. We’ve seen some exciting initiatives in our own industry, from access to expert health professionals to wellness apps. The health and wellbeing industry is creative and we see tangible results in the workplaces of those employers that implement them.’

Support for physical health isn’t just about treatment, but about prevention and early intervention too, and it’s important that all are considered when employers are looking at how to support staff best. Programmes can be tailored to meet the specific needs of a workforce, taking into account age, gender or particular health concerns of a workforce demographic.

Moxham concluded,

‘Cancer is a leading cause of claim across all group risk products: employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness, so we know just how much cancer affects employees and their companies. The financial support offered is fantastic at a time when people need it most, but it’s important that all the other support – both in terms of prevention and early intervention – are not overlooked: they play an incredibly important part in employers looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff.’

How employers look after the physical wellbeing of their staff:

  • If requested, we will arrange access to professional support such as seeing a specialist: 21%
  • Initiatives to encourage staff to be more active and to improve their health: 20%
  • Discounted gym membership: 18%
  • We have insurance in place to provide support, such as seeing a specialist (this might include private medical insurance or employer-sponsored income protection): 18%
  • We fund private healthcare treatment if necessary: 17%
  • Training on specific areas such as smoking-cessation, nutrition, fitness, lifestyle: 14%
  • Access to apps/technology to monitor and improve health and fitness: 11%
  • We provide free or discounted healthy eating: 11%
  • Cash plans: 9%
  • We don’t offer support for the physical wellbeing of staff: 34%
Health

Worst things employers have said to employees dealing with cancer, according to RedArc

It is not an unreasonable expectation for an employee diagnosed with cancer to look to their employer for support, but according to RedArc, many employers handle the situation incredibly untactfully.

Every year, RedArc speaks to over 650 people with cancer every year – from the newly diagnosed through to those who are dealing with the longer-term consequences of the disease. Despite the high prevalence of cancer in the workplace, (there are over 900,000 people of working age living with cancer in the UK), RedArc’s nursing team continue to be shocked by the comments made by employers.

During the past year, RedArc logged the following statements, as reported by their employee patients:

  • “We may have to let you go as you are no longer able to carry out your duties.”
  • “Perhaps you should retire.”
  • “We may need to replace you as we can’t wait any longer for you to return.”
  • “You have had your treatment now and so should be fine.”
  • “We are unable to look at alternative work roles.”
  • “We need you to be back at work full-time, we are unable to accommodate short-time working.”
  • “Can you not come into work around your treatment appointments?”
  • “Mandatory training was not up to date due to your sickness.”
  • “How long will you be off?”

Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc said:

“It is employers’ rightful duty and responsibility to provide support for staff who are diagnosed with a critical illness, and that support starts with what an employer says and how they say it.

“Of course, not every employer will feel at ease having these potentially difficult conversations, and where this is the case, they may benefit from having access to specialists who can support both the individual employee as well as signpost to coaching, training and support for the line manager and HR team.”

Such support, can often be included within Private Medical Insurance, Group Risk products or Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), and can be a great benefit to employees should they need it, including offering access to second medical opinions on a diagnosis or treatment programme; help in navigating and joining up NHS services and charities; additional therapies including reiki, osteopathy, acupuncture and psychotherapy; as well as a medically trained individual who is able to provide emotional support throughout the cancer journey, including how to manage difficult conversations with their employer.

Christine Husbands concluded:

“In our experience, many people with cancer want to continue working, or get back to work as soon as they can. There can be many obstacles both physically and mentally for the employee and also limitations within the workplace. Managed well, the workplace can be a safe haven for those with, and recovering from, cancer: somewhere where they have a purpose and where they can get away from their health matters. Employers who understand this, take the time to appreciate and accommodate the issues and treat their staff with respect, understanding and support will be repaid in commitment and loyalty.

“Employers should also be aware that the opposite is also true: inappropriate treatment or failure to accommodate an employee’s needs are also noted by the wider workforce, so a badly worded comment or poorly phrased question to one individual can quickly circulate around the office and cause damage to employee relations as a whole.”