Lung cancer specialist nurses across the UK are calling on the Government to standby its commitment to specialist nurses, in order to ensure that every lung cancer patient has access to a lung cancer nurse. “
Lung cancer nurses play a vital role in supporting patients and their families,” said Maria Guerin, chair of the National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses. “Yet, one in ten lung cancer patients currently do not have access to a specialist nurse. Despite lung cancer being the UK’s biggest cancer killer, there are not enough nurses compared to the number of patients diagnosed.” Dame Gill Oliver, chair of the United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC), of which the NLCFN is a member, said that an extra 200 lung cancer specialist nurses are needed in the UK to bring specialist nurse provision in line with other major cancers. According to recent figures, on average, there is one lung cancer nurse in England for every 132 people diagnosed with lung cancer, compared to 82 people per every breast cancer nurse.
