Macmillan Cancer Support Launches Emergency Appeal

That the Parliament welcomes the launch of Macmillan Cancer Support’s emergency appeal to help meet unprecedented demand during the COVID-19 crisis; recognises that Macmillan’s renowned nurses and other healthcare professionals are being called on to help in the response to the virus, while their colleagues continue to maintain crucial care and support people with cancer; understands that an estimated quarter of a million people with cancer in the UK fall into the clinically vulnerable category for COVID-19; notes that the charity is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand for its services, including thousands of additional calls to the specialist nurses on its telephone helpline; is concerned that, because it is almost entirely funded by public donations, Macmillan is reporting a 50% drop in income due to the impact of the virus; commends it for investing in a £5 million COVID-19 response fund to address emerging needs, which include funding additional roles such as support workers to help with increased workloads or IT equipment to enable cancer patients to speak virtually to their loved ones, and wishes Macmillan success in raising the urgent funds that it needs to continue to be there for people living with cancer.