Macmillan’s Public Affairs Team is now in Birmingham for the first Conservative Party conference since their return to power in May.
After 13 years in opposition, I am in no doubt that this year’s event will be full of energy and excitement. That said, the Government has already had to make some very difficult decisions about the public finances with a lot more to come, so I am also sure that conference delegates will hear some fairly sobering speeches about the importance of cutting the cost of public services.
So what does this mean for people affected by cancer?
At the start of the conference the Prime Minister confirmed plans for an overhaul of the welfare system which will result in some benefits being merged and others being withdrawn - particularly for people who are given the opportunity of work but choose not to.
On hearing this announcement, my immediate thought was whether these changes could mean a raw deal for the 700,000 cancer patients of working age, many of whom have difficulties staying in or returning to work during and after treatment.
Although I appreciate that the Government has to make some tough calls on where money can be saved, I will be telling the politicians and stakeholders I meet in Birmingham this week very clearly that people who are unable to work because of their cancer diagnosis must not be left worse off because of these reforms.
Naturally, we are also eager to hear more details about the Government’s plans for the health system.
Yesterday, David Cameron announced £60 million to extend bowel cancer screening. Hopefully this will save up to 3,000 more lives every year which is, of course, great news.
What the team and I also want to know is how GP commissioning will work for cancer services and how the health reforms can benefit everyone living with and after cancer.
We look forward to telling you about what we find out over the next few days.
Are you worried about any of the planned changes to the welfare system?
