SIP welcomes the European Parliament Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) Draft Report on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer. In particular, SIP welcomes BECA’s recommendations around the need to ease cancer patients’ pain and discomfort as part of improving the access to, and quality of cancer care, as well as providing support to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
SIP also welcomes the Draft Report’s recognition of several key actions to support EU and national institutions to help cancer survivors and cancer patients living with cancer-related pain.
They include:
- Recognition of the need for pan-European quality standards for cancer services, including recognising the need for improved quality of life for cancer patients
- Calling for the promotion of improved, high-quality, accredited, and common education and training standards for health professionals
- Supporting the call for the launch of an inter-speciality cancer training programme
- Calling for the development of multidisciplinary decision-making, and multidisciplinary practice in cancer services
- Highlighting the need for exchange and implementation of best practices at EU level
- Calling for Member States to improve the integration of cancer patients and survivors into the workplace, and reintegration of cancer survivors into the labour market
- Underlining the impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on access to cancer services
- Advocating for the development of a digital health system to improve cancer services