Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is marking the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife by raising awareness of the expert care provided by Lung Cancer Nurse Specialists and the pressures they are facing.
On March 4, Andrew attended a Parliamentary Reception held by Lung Cancer Nursing UK. In attendance were 90 representatives from the lung cancer community, including specialist nurses and patients.
The overriding message of the event was that nurses matter. The findings of Lung Cancer Nursing UK’s most recent report, which surveyed its 300 members and set out the pressures faced by specialist nurses, were also reflected upon.
In the Lung Cancer Nursing UK report:
- 78% of respondents did not believe that their hospital was meeting recommended recruitment standards
- 47% of respondents reported that they were caring for over 200 patients, with a marked increase in caseload over the last four years
- Over a third of respondents felt that they did not have enough time to fully inform patients of the options available to them
Andrew Gwynne said:
“I was delighted to attend the Lung Cancer Nursing UK Parliamentary Reception at the beginning of March to celebrate International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
“It is astounding that almost half of specialist nurses are caring for over 200 patients at a time.
“The work of Lung Cancer Nurse Specialists matters and it is vital that we raise awareness of the pressures they are facing.”
