- Macmillan expands cancer training beyond cancer specialists to GPs, nurses and wider professionals for the first time
- The move reflects rising numbers of people living with cancer and the shift of care into community settings, increasing reliance on a range of professionals across the NHS
- The new membership offers flexible training, trusted resources, wellbeing support and peer connections to help professionals deliver confident, high-quality cancer care
Macmillan Cancer Support has announced a major expansion of its free, expert-led cancer training programme, making it available for the first time to thousands of health and care professionals working outside of cancer specialist roles. The initiative is designed to support the growing number of professionals across primary, community and social care who are caring for people living with cancer as part of their everyday roles.
Until now, Macmillan’s expert-led training has largely been focused on cancer specialist roles such as clinical nurse specialists, with more than 11,000 Macmillan Professionals across the UK.
Under the new approach, known as Macmillan Membership, this will be expanded, giving a broader range of professionals on-demand access to free guidance, wellbeing support and trusted resources to help them better support people living with cancer. This includes non-cancer specialists and others who increasingly play a vital role in supporting people living with cancer.
The move reflects both the growing number of people living longer with and beyond cancer in the UK with complex, ongoing needs, as well as the reality that cancer can impact every part of your life, meaning care and support needs to come from a wider range of professionals. As NHS services continue to shift into the community under the government’s Neighbourhood Health ambitions, Macmillan warns that demand on generalist professionals will only increase.
Available to all healthcare professionals, the new, free offer includes two tailored programmes: Professional Membership for cancer specialists and Affiliate Membership for generalists such as doctors; practice nurses; community nurses; allied health professionals; support workers; physiotherapists; occupational therapists; dietitians; and health and care professionals.
The new membership programmes will give professionals access to:
- On-demand e-learning and expert-led cancer training, designed to fit around busy clinical roles
- Trusted patient information and resources to support conversations and signposting
- Wellbeing support for professionals, recognising the emotional demands of care
- Opportunities to connect with peers, share learning and build confidence
Claire Taylor, Chief Nursing Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:
“As more people live longer with and beyond cancer, care is increasingly delivered by professionals right across the health and social care system – and it’s only fair that non-cancer specialists feel confident providing care to people living with cancer.
“By opening up Macmillan Membership and training to hardworking professionals across the NHS, we’re ensuring that everyone involved in delivering care has the confidence, skills and support they need to provide compassionate, high-quality care every day. This is about recognising the vital role these professionals already play and equipping them to meet the growing and complex needs of people living with cancer.”
Professionals can find out more about the memberships and sign up for free at membership.macmillan.org.uk.