Macmillan wants to be there for every person diagnosed with cancer in the region

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a traumatic and frightening experience at any time, and the coronavirus pandemic is only bringing added worry and uncertainty. Some people are seeing their treatment changed, postponed or even cancelled, and may be upset, scared and lonely.

With the need for trusted information and support greater than ever, the Macmillan Support Line – open from 8am to 8pm, 365 days a year – is providing a lifeline right now to people with concerns about cancer and coronavirus. People are contacting us with worries about finances, clinical questions, and some highly emotional calls as they cope with the impact of the crisis.

During the first lockdown back in March last year our support line teams, mostly based in Shipley, quickly set themselves up to support people from home. Like many of us the Macmillan team have been continuing this vital service without interruption from kitchen tables and sofas across Yorkshire.

Our Macmillan professionals have gone from receiving general calls around coronavirus, to calls about the impact on treatment, to sad, emotional calls about people dying in intensive care on their own and families having to arrange virtual funerals. We have seen a huge increase in calls to the Macmillan Support Line since the coronavirus crisis began, with our Cancer Information Nurse Specialist team answering almost 4,500 calls in March alone. It costs around £138,000 to fund the Cancer Information Nurse Specialist team on the support line for one month, during which time they will respond to thousands of calls from people who are worried about cancer, need urgent information and support, and may not have anywhere else to turn to for help.

Macmillan wants to be there for every person diagnosed with cancer in the region, every donation received will stay in Yorkshire and give vital support to those who need it. At this time your support has never mattered more, to make a donation visit www.macmillan.org.uk/yorkshireappeal

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.