Bridging the gap: the challenge of mitigating health inequalities in lung cancer

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, together with the cost-of- living crisis, have shone a light on health inequalities running through our society - not least in UK lung cancer. Lung cancer has the widest deprivation gap of all cancers. Despite published data about socio-economic factors, the amount of evidence available about other health inequalities is poor. Method(s) The Bridging the Gap report is the output from a Health Inequalities focus-group meeting of the UKLCC's Clinical Advisory Group in June 2022. These opinions were supplemented by views and information gathered from 15 interviews with leading lung cancer and health inequalities experts, from across the four UK nations in August/September 2022. Further desk research and literature reviews were carried out over the same period. Result(s) The report calls for a 'comprehensive' approach to data collection on health inequalities - to bridge gaps in current knowledge, improve outcomes and ensure people with lung cancer have equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, and care - wherever they live and from whatever background. Key recommendations include * Extending the remit of the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) to collect more data on ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and other health inequality factors - such as gender, religion and disability. * Establishing a single, coordinated data strategy, compiling evidence on health inequalities at local, regional and national levels. * Introducing a Personal Care and Access Card scheme, carried by the patient, combining their Holistic Needs Assessment information with their personal treatment and care plan to facilitate transfer of information between hospitals and specialists. * Disease awareness campaigns targeted to address local needs and communities. Conclusion(s) The UKLCC believes that - with the implementation of these recommendations and support from policy makers, commissioners and clinicians - we can successfully mitigate health inequalities in lung cancer and have further impact on lung cancer outcomes. Report accessible here www.uklcc.org.uk/our-reports Disclosure No significant relationships.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V.