By 2010 we want to be able to reach every single person who is diagnosed with cancer and to be there for them at every stage of their cancer journey, no matter who they are, what part of the country they live in, or what type of cancer they have. We will reach them by helping to make life better, in however large or small a way, through our services.
This help may come in ways they can see and touch, such as an information leaflet or specialist medical care and support. Or we may improve support for them in less visible ways, for instance, by influencing policies and legislation that may result in welcome changes, such as the removal of hospital parking charges.
There is a greater need than ever for our help.
Cancer affects us all
Today, more people in the UK are living with cancer and one in three of us will get cancer at some point in our lives. Cancer affects us all and we can all help to make people's experience of it better.
What's more, cancer, and our experience of it, is changing. As the population ages, more people are getting cancer but, with the help of improvements in screening, diagnosis and treatment, more people are living longer with and after the disease. This means that a growing number of people need more than just medical help; they also need information, practical, emotional and financial support. They're often spending less time in hospital and more time at home – so cancer is becoming a part of more and more people's daily lives.
As people's needs around cancer have changed, so have we. We're building on the traditional healthcare services we're known for and adding new ones to give people what they want. And it's not just people with cancer who are affected – their families, carers and communities often need help too.
By the end of 2008 there will be 2 million people in the UK living with or beyond cancer. Find out more about Macmillan's aims to provide support for these people.
What we will offer
We are that source of support. We will help anyone affected by cancer find their way through the system to get the help and support they need. We fund nurses and other specialist health and social care professionals; we share information; we give emotional support; we offer financial help and advice, and we provide practical help at home.
We manage a number of services ourselves, such as our telephone helplines and website. But we can't do everything alone. We work in close partnership with the NHS and a range of other organisations, such as local authorities, Citizens' Advice and other cancer charities, to develop a wide range of other services too.
We are also a force for change, listening to people affected by cancer and working together to improve cancer care. We innovate and develop new services, fight discrimination and campaign for changes in policy, legislation and practice. Some of these activities bring immediate support to people affected by cancer.
Others become part of the UK's permanent infrastructure for cancer care and support and provide long lasting benefits to thousands of people affected by cancer now and in the future.