Fears young people aren't being diagnosed with cancer until A&E
Dedicated workshops are now being set up to help teenagers overcome the barriers they face when getting their cancer symptoms checked.
Last updated 8th Oct 2020
There are warnings some young people in Greater Manchester aren't being diagnosed with cancer until they are in Accident and Emergency departments - because their symptoms are so severe.
Figures reveal a third of young people have to visit a doctor three times before they receive a cancer referral.
Charities suggest teenagers could now be facing even more barriers because of the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on cancer services.
In August, Hits Radio uncovered the major delays Covid-19 is having on treatments and referrals as the NHS battles one of the world's worst pandemics in a lifetime.
Increasing early detection amongst young people
To tackle some of the barriers young people face when it comes to visiting a doctor, one charity in Salford is putting together online workshops that aim to raise awareness of some of the most common symptoms.
It comes as cancer referrals have dropped by 75% and young people are not being diagnosed with cancer.
Teenagers across Salford will be taught to recognise the early signs of cancer and know when they should see a GP thanks to a series of workshops funded by NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
The Cancer Awareness in Teenagers and Young People Society (CATS) has been granted £40,000 to increase early detection of cancer amongst the younger generation.
Bethany Applebee is the Community Engagement Lead at the charity and says "if you do keep getting a doctor saying it could be something else you have to be persistent with going back. It can make it even more difficult when you have these extra barriers."
"A quarter of young people are diagnosed in A&E because their symptoms are so severe, but they're not being listened to."
Seren Hughes, Project Manager for CATS, said: “This will allow us to reach so many more young people in a massive variety of communities throughout Salford, with our educational and informal workshops.
“Ensuring all young people, from all walks of life, feel confident enough in their knowledge of the signs and symptoms of cancer and in knowing their own bodies is an essential part of our work. With this project we are aiming to reduce health inequalities throughout Salford by reaching young people who may not have been involved in this type of awareness raising before.”
The workshops are free to all young people aged 15-29 living, studying or working in Salford.
Tickets are booked via Eventbrite and the workshop is hosted through Zoom.
More information about CATS and the work they do can be found here.
#CheckItOut
We're running a drive to get people to #CheckItOut if they're worried about their symptoms.
You can support our initiative to visit a doctor or encourage your family and friends by visiting #CheckItOut.