A CANCER-CARE partnership set up to address the high incidence of the disease and mortality rate is celebrating after hundreds of GPs signed up to improve awareness and diagnosis.

The Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership is a pioneering three-year programme that was set up in 2014 to provide better care and support for cancer patients after it was revealed that the cancer mortality rate in some parts of East Lancashire was 40 per cent higher than the national average.

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Among the successes of the £1 million project are 89 GP practices and 400 GPs in the area signing up to improve cancer awareness and early diagnosis.

The team helped deliver more than 800 new cancer-care reviews and standardise and improve the GP two-week wait referral process. These achievements have resulted in the clinical commissioning groups committing more than £300,000 of further funding to the project.

Dr Neil Smith, Macmillan GP for NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG, said: “Because of the success of the first year of the scheme, cancer has been placed higher on the agenda.

“Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership has created a genuine change in the cancer outlook and helped prioritise it as a major health issue.

“Cancer is being seen as a long-term condition and we are empowering more people affected by cancer.”

The partnership comprises Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS East Lancashire and NHS Blackburn with Darwen clinical commissioning groups, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lancashire County Council.

Other milestones ach- ieved include a new team of Macmillan professionals appointed to run new services, such as a community Macmillan information and support service delivered in partnership with Blackburn and Darwen Council.

The project is supported by people like Kath Pawluk, 57, who is being treated for ovarian cancer.

She said: “I feel like we are being listened to and having an influence.”