Event in UK Parliament raises awareness of ideal patient care pathway for neuroendocrine cancer

On 14 June 2023, The Health Policy Partnership co-hosted an event with Neuroendocrine Cancer UK at the UK Parliament, where we shared the ideal patient care pathway for neuroendocrine cancer with MPs. Our aims were to raise awareness of neuroendocrine cancer and to encourage MPs to commit to supporting people living with this condition.

The event, opened by Justin Madders MP, brought together MPs and people with direct experience of neuroendocrine cancer.

Catherine Bouvier Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, provided an overview of neuroendocrine cancer, including the current treatment options and the challenges people living with the disease typically face. This was followed by a personal story, with actor Olivia Williams sharing her experience of getting diagnosed and living with the condition. Consultant Endocrinologist and UKINETS Education and Training Committee Chair Dr Alia Munir then detailed how establishing a standard care pathway for neuroendocrine cancer could benefit everyone living with the condition while still supporting the NHS’s current ambitions and practices. The presentations concluded with a call to action from Catherine Bouvier Ellis, encouraging MPs to support the implementation of the care pathway.

These talks generated a number of meaningful conversations among attendees. Patient advocates took advantage of the opportunity to share their experiences with MPs and stress why barriers to diagnosis must be overcome. In turn, MPs were able to ask questions about the condition and learn what specific actions they can take to provide support.