WALC

About the campaign

The Patients' Charter was presented to the Health Minister, Rosie Winterton, earlier this year.

The charter had been developed by The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support in consultation with a wide range of patients and patient groups. We have adopted this as a mandate on which to campaign to ensure that every lung cancer patient receives the best possible treatment and care.

It is the fundamental right of every patient to be treated with dignity and respect.

All patients have the right to:

1. Have the profound impact of lung cancer acknowledged by healthcare professionals, policy makers, politicians and the public. This will be achieved by:
   • A nationwide lung cancer public awareness programme to make sure patients see their doctors early and get the proper diagnosis
   • Educating GPs and other healthcare professionals on the signs and symptoms of lung cancer
   • Raising the awareness of healthcare professionals and social services, of the emotional and practical difficulties experienced by lung cancer patients and their carers
   • Securing serious funding for lung cancer research and treatment, comparable with other common cancers. This must include research into lung cancer screening techniques and programmes and supportive care.
2. Access to the best treatment and care
   
   Patients must
   • Be treated by a multi-disciplinary team of specialist lung cancer healthcare professionals
   • Have access to a lung cancer specialist nurse throughout their lung cancer journey
   • Be given rapid access to up-to-date treatments
   • Be offered high quality patient focused information
   • Have access to high quality specialist palliative and supportive care where appropriate
3. Be free of blame and stigma for having the disease
   
   Patients must
   • Not be denied treatment or support because they are a smoker or ex-smoker
   • Not be the recipient of any negative attitudes towards lung cancer