"Freedom from Pain" Campaign

That the Parliament endorses wholeheartedly the aims of the “Freedom from Pain” campaign by CancerBACUP; applauds the “Freedom from Pain” Charter and urges all MSPs to sign it; supports CancerBACUP’s view that the management of cancer pain in Scotland and in the UK must be improved radically; further supports the view of the proposed Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain that a radical transformation of the plight of patients who are in chronic pain for any reason, including non-malignant disease, must be addressed urgently given that there are 500,000 people in Scotland who suffer chronic pain from all kinds of conditions, including back and arthritic pain, and notes the huge support of health professionals and charities for the proposed Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain and also the support given to CancerBACUP’s “Freedom from Pain” Charter by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Care, Carers National Association, Colon Cancer Concern, Long-Term Medical Conditions Alliance, Macmillan Cancer Relief, the UK Breast Cancer Coalition, the Patients Association, the Prostrate Cancer Charity, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons.