Transcript lessons from cancer Agenda

Creating a
movement for
Neurological
conditions – lessons
from cancer
November 2009
Agenda
• About us
• Similarities between cancer and neurological
conditions
• Differences between the two disease areas
• Lessons from cancer
• Summary
About us
Why we’re here
What
we do
Strategic policy consultancy
Health campaigning
Parliamentary engagement
and scrutiny
Media relations
Stakeholder engagement
Issues and crisis management
Can neurological
conditions learn
any lessons from
cancer?
Similarities
Similarities between cancer and
neurological conditions
• Exceptionally common diseases
• Stigma
• Vibrant voluntary sector
• Multitude of stakeholders
• Some existence of a ‘postcode lottery’
• Treatment pipelines
• Research issues are very similar
Differences
Differences between cancer and
neurological conditions
• Cancer is seen as a higher political priority
• Multitude of ‘celebrity’ survivors or patients
• Cancer ‘survivorship’
• Public funding gap
• Cancer is the number one public fear
• Clear national leadership
• Up-to-date national strategy
• Research spend
Lessons from
cancer
Lesson 1 – it’s a journey….
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2009
Political:
The Calman Hine report on commissioning cancer services (1995)
Introduction of a National Clinical Director for Cancer (1999)
NHS Cancer Plan (2000)
Establishment of the National Cancer Research Institute (2001)
Cancer Reform Strategy (2007)
Social:
Cancer was spoken about more openly on TV (1990s)
Increase in cancer patient empowerment (2000s)
Merger of CRC and ICRF (2002)
Lesson 2 – Hope and fear
Lesson 3 – the promise of progress
More than 95% of
men now survive
testicular cancer
Survival rates have
improved for nearly
all cancers
Cancer death
rates have fallen
by 10% over the
More than 7 out of
10 children are
now successfully
last 10 years
treated
Over half of all
people with cancer
now survive
beyond 5 years
Breast cancer
death rates have
fallen by a fifth in
the last 10 years
Lesson 4 – overcoming stigma
Lesson 5 – the benefits of a robust
evidence-base
• Authoritative voice
• Based on facts – scale of
the problem; size of the
prize
• Use evidence effectively
• Importance of
independence
Lesson 6 – involving supporters
• Many patients and supporters want
to help in non-financial ways
• Campaigning is empowering AND
can lead to positive legislative
change
• Helps break down stigma
• Relatively inexpensive to do this
• You don’t have to be a
‘campaigning’ charity to do this
• Doesn’t have to be placardwaving or marches on Westminster;
it can be more subtle
Lesson 7 – The power of partnership
Three case studies on partnership working
Working with other
cancer charities
Working with other
healthcare
organisations
Working with charities
outside of health
Unclaimed
Assets Coalition
In summary….
1) It doesn’t happen
overnight
5) The benefits of a robust
evidence-base
2) The importance of both
hope and fear
6) The benefits that can be
gained from involving
campaigners
3) The promise of progress
7) Partnership working often
reaps the biggest rewards
4) The need to overcome
stigma
8) Use the cancer
experience as a lever
Thank you