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Cancer patients losing out on £200m a year in benefits 'scandal'

By Celia Hall Medical Editor
Last Updated: 1:18am GMT 12/01/2006

Cancer patients are missing out on benefits of at least £200 million a
year because of the "scandalous" failure to tell them about entitlements,
an MPs' committee says today.

The health select committee's report on cancer services also criticises
the low priority given to prostate cancer in the NHS, a disease that kills
10,000 men a year.

While it found that cancer services overall had improved, the MPs said
there were still wide differences in waiting times across the country.
Forty per cent were still waiting more than two weeks to see a consultant.
"Delays heighten anxiety," the MPs said.

Edward Leigh, the committee chairman, said: "Terminally ill patients are
eligible for financial help but more than three quarters of cancer
patients are not told this. This is scandalous. Not all people will wish
to claim but some - simply through lack of knowledge - will not be getting
the financial support that is so important to them and their family to
make their last days more bearable."

People in the late stages of cancer who are not expected to survive for
six months can have non-means tested disability living allowance for
over-65s and attendance allowance for under-65s fast tracked. Allowances
can be up to £100 a week.

Anyone with cancer may be eligible for support from these benefits or
through the means-tested hospital travel costs scheme or the carer's
allowance. A Macmillan Cancer Relief spokesman said cancer sufferers could
face extra child care costs, laundry, heating, travel costs for daily
chemo- or radio-therapy visits, as well as loss of earnings.

The report, based on a survey of 4,300 cancer patients in 49 NHS trusts in
England, undertaken by the National Audit Office in 2004, says that only
23 per cent of cancer patients are ever told about potential benefits.

Today's document calls for a report from Prof Mike Richards, the cancer
"tsar", on prostate cancer services in England to explain why they were
given a low priority and to set out improvement plans.

Patients were "broadly positive" about their experiences, giving high
satisfaction to the levels of dignity, privacy and respect offered during
NHS treatment.

Consultant referral times had improved since 2000. But the report,
Tackling Cancer: Improving the Patient Journey, said that more than a
quarter of bowel cancer patients had waited more than a month. The
condition of one third got worse during the wait.

The MPs say that all units should aspire to match the 80 per cent referral
within two weeks achieved for breast cancer patients.

The Macmillan spokesman said: "The select committee has attacked the lack
of access to benefits advice for terminally-ill cancer patients. We hope
the Government is listening."

John Neate, the chief executive of Prostate Cancer Charity, said the
report's findings were "appalling and clearly unacceptable" and urged the
Government to respond positively. "Far too many prostate cancer patients
are not receiving NHS care and support to the standard they should
expect," he said.

Rosie Winterton, the health minister, said: "The report also recognises
that there is more work to be done. We acknowledge this and have put
actions in place to maintain the momentum of improvement."