THOUSANDS of lives could be improved by reforming rural cancer care services, say healthcare experts.

Living in the countryside can affect the quality of cancer care, suggest insights from patients, their families and services providers.

Particular challenges are associated with running awareness campaigns and screening services in rural areas.

Difficult or costly journeys to hospital are a strain on patients, reveals research by the Commission for Rural Communities.

The provision of care for discharged cancer patients who live a long distance from health services is a further concern.

Problems are exacerbated where there is poor public transport, said the rural watchdog.

The commission gave cancer patients in rural areas the chance to comment on their experiences.

Its findings were published in London on Wednesday (10 February).

Rural patients spoke of painful and discomforting regular and lengthy journeys to remote treatment centres.

Those without access to public transport often faced considerably increased travelling costs.

A summary report, Insights from users and providers of cancer care in rural England, can be downloaded here (pdf file).

Commission chief executive Sarah McAdam said new ways of working were needed to improve outcomes for rural patients.

“We are therefore supportive of any measures that enable cancer services to be delivered closer to people’s homes.”

There are 250,000 cancer cases every year in England, and survival rates lag behind the rest of Europe.

The commission is bringing together key people in cancer care to develop solutions to the problems facing rural patients.

It is working with Macmillan Cancer Support and the Department of Health to improve rural cancer care.

Macmillan chief executive Ciarán Devane said cancer patients often faced long-term physical and emotional problems.

“More people are surviving cancer and the NHS needs to focus more attention on meeting their long term needs.

People who had finished treatment for cancer were often overlooked by health and social care services.

“Those living in sparsely populated rural areas can suffer the greatest isolation and more needs to be done to help them.”

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Rural Broadband
written by wraycomcom, February 10, 2010

If broadband was easily available in rural areas it could provide a lifeline to cancer sufferers. Live webchats, monitoring, support and talking to health professionals without having to travel. A wealth of health at their fingertips, and so cheap and easy to provide. Its a no brainer really... with fibre connectivity so much is possible. with obsolete copper it just doesn't work.

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