Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 01 February 2022
I congratulate Jackie Baillie on securing this timeous debate. Covid has dominated the health agenda for some two years, and that has had a devastating impact on cancer diagnosis and care, as well on other serious, life-threatening illnesses.
It cannot be said often enough that one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. I also echo the statement that when someone suffers from cancer, it affects their entire family and their colleagues. Treatments have improved, early diagnosis had improved and progress has been made on research. We have come on strides in decades, but “cancer” is still a very scary word.
It is obvious that the impact of Covid has led to the postponement of treatment, diagnosis and follow-up examinations. There will hardly be a family that has not been impacted by that fact with stress and anxiety, and by the possibility that the delay might have increased the spread of the cancer, as Jackie Baillie referred to when she spoke of stage 4 cancers being reported at A and E. Therefore, it remains crucial that we all keep Covid at bay to allow the NHS to treat those with life-threatening illnesses.
I want to talk about inequalities in people coming forward. Early diagnosis remains an issue; there is no doubt that in deprived areas and in some cultural communities there is a hesitancy about coming forward. We must take the screening to the people. Travelling breast cancer screening, which was brought to supermarkets, office car parks and nurseries, was excellent. The bowel screening programme, which I have also used, was another excellent thing. People talk to one another about such things, and there is nothing like one-to-one encouragement.
However, the fear that we feel when we hear the word “cancer” knows no class. One of the biggest issues is delay. Delay is dangerous; it is better to find out your diagnosis, so that you can prevent cells from turning into cancer or prevent cancerous cells from spreading, than to put your head in the sand. We should remember the statistics: one in two of us will suffer from cancer. Not one of us in the chamber is invincible.
Diagnosis and treatment is one thing, but emotional and psychological support for the person who has been diagnosed and their family is crucial—as is financial support, which Jackie Baillie also referred to. Organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support have contacts on their websites for financial support and emotional support, and the local citizens advice bureaux and the local politician can help if you cannot find the information for yourself. I commend the websites of Citizens Advice Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support.
The possibility that you may have cancer is very scary. You start by worrying about the day-to-day things in life, such as the next food shop or taking the dog for a walk, then suddenly you are at A and E. Next, you have a barium meal, MRI scans and a meeting with someone called an oncologist—that is another scary word. Can I tell you something, though? That is better than delaying. Fear is not your friend. Do not put it off. If people take anything from this debate, I hope that it is that if they think that they might have something serious that could be cancer, they speak to someone and get it checked. That is my key message.
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