Scotland faces cancer support nursing crisis warn charity
We've been speaking to a woman from Aberdeen who says she "can't imagine" how she'd have coped with chemotherapy without her nurse.
Macmillan Cancer Support are warning we risk a 'cancer nurse crisis' if hundreds of professionals aren't recruited over the next decade.
The charity estimates the number of new cancer diagnoses will reach over 46,000 a year by the end of the decade, an increase of almost a quarter (23%) from 2018.
In a new report launched today. Macmillan says Scotland will need hundreds of new cancer nurse specialist roles by the end of 2030 to cope with the additional demand.
And they say these specialists are already working overtime, with some patients missing out on the vital care.
Kimberley Forsyth, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in October last year, says without her cancer nurse specialist her experience would have been lonely and frightening.
The 39-year-old from Aberdeen said: “I don’t know how I’d have coped without my nurse. I couldn’t take anyone in with me to my appointments because of the pandemic, so she was my support from the very beginning.
“It would have been awful and very lonely without my nurse. She was my constant companion who was able to explain all the medical jargon to me and prepare me for what was to come.
“She made sure I wasn’t alone, by supporting me when I was discussing options, treatments and taking down notes. She put me at ease and made sure I had all information I needed when I was thrown into fertility clinics, MRI machines and biopsies.
“Doing chemotherapy during the pandemic could have been very isolating, so knowing that I could always call my nurse made a huge difference.
“Every time I saw her in the clinic, her and her team were incredibly busy, but she always made time for me. Her knowledge, experience and kindness made all the difference in my care.
“I would have found this experience very difficult to navigate without her, and that’s as someone who works in health and social care and has a big family who were supporting me.
“I can’t imagine how lonely and frightening going through cancer would be for someone who didn’t have a nurse, especially if they didn’t have family around them or know how to go online to find information.”
Head of Macmillan’s services in Scotland, Janice Preston, said: “Scotland is facing a perfect storm of soaring numbers of people with cancer, many experienced nurses retiring, and an already over-stretched workforce who despite working extremely hard, just can’t fill all the gaps.
“Our research shows that already, too many people with cancer in Scotland aren’t getting the support they need from highly dedicated but over-worked cancer nurse specialists who are in many cases, faced with an impossible task.
“Cancer nurse specialists aren’t luxuries. They’re an essential part of the cancer care system and research shows they make a significant difference to how patients cope with the physical and emotional impact of their illness and treatment.
“It’s vital that the Scottish Government commits to creating a fully-funded and clearly mapped out plan to recruit the hundreds of additional nurses Scotland needs, as well as to replace those who are retiring."