To begin, thank you so much to all of you who continue to support and share this petition and to those of you who have recently signed. Your positive actions count and are essential to the changes we are calling for. 

Some of you may know that the Department of Health and Social Care have created a consultation document calling upon the public to provide evidence about cancer care. As a questionnaire, many sections appear in the form of multiple-choice questions, however, there are also sections where it is possible to provide more detailed accounts and opinions. The consultation has been created to inform the development of the government’s 10-year Cancer Plan for England and closes on the 1st April.

This petition supports increasing awareness amongst health professionals and achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer for all. So many of you have lost family and friends in similar circumstances to Jess – they were ignored for too long and their diagnosis came too late. It is essential that the Government recognises and acts on this fact. Earlier cancer diagnosis is essential to improving cancer survival. Public awareness campaigns have a place, but it is our doctors who refer us. Time and time again we hear devastating stories of patients taking the initiative and seeking help only to receive platitudes and unsubstantiated explanations for poor health. Cancer is invariably the last consideration. If possible, please share your thoughts through this online forum.

10-Year Cancer Plan: Call for Evidence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk

Once again, the areas we have highlighted, in addition to adequate funding and access to Rapid Diagnostic Centres for all, are:

GP initiative, not patient. The onus shouldn’t be on patients to push. We should not feel like failures if, at our lowest ebb, we fail to self-diagnose and demand treatment.

GP practices need a designated Cancer Specialist (this would aid the diagnosis of cancers in the young and in reviewing rare cancers and ‘inexplicable’ symptoms). Linked to a cancer checklist.

Additional cancer awareness training for GPs supported by yearly, mandatory, refresher training.

A named GP not just in principle but in practice, providing consistency and continuity of care.                     

Jess’ law: After the third contact with a GP surgery about a condition/symptom a case should be elevated for review. After 5 it should be red-flagged and set procedures followed. Jess contacted her surgery on more than 20 occasions in 5 months.

               The Listening Project: Medical professionals taking the time to listen. As patients, we know our bodies.

Face-to-Face GP appointments. Nationally people are calling for a return to ‘normality’. A GP can not gauge distress/fatigue etc from an online form. The Government must continue to push for this.

There needs to be more research. Why disproportionately more females? Why so young? Why left undiagnosed? In this age group, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s what is the survival rate?

Inquiry inviting families of patients who have lost their lives to cancer in the last 10 years to participate.

Please feel free to use some or all of these points in your response.

We hold Jess in our hearts and minds all the time and will continue to campaign until some good has been achieved.