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The cancer landscape in the UK
Around 375,000 new patients are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK, presenting a lifetime risk of one in two for those born after 1960.
This is set to rise to 500,000 new cases per year by 2024, according to Cancer Research UK.
We’re also seeing a rise in the number of cases in younger patients, with research published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) citing a 79% increase in cancer diagnosed in under-50s between 1990 and 2019.
Given this upward trend, it’s no surprise that cancer care is a key focus for the NHS, private healthcare providers and employers alike.
But Cancer Research UK states that as many as 38% of cancer diagnoses are preventable.
Factors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol and diet can have a significant influence on common cancers.
Did you know, for example, that 54% of bowel cancers can be prevented by making a few lifestyle changes?
Through a combination of raising awareness of the risk factors, signs and symptoms, as well as through risk assessments and screening, as an industry we can help bring cancer prevention to the top of the agenda and reduce the risk of cancer across the UK.
Supporting members with a fast diagnosis
Beyond prevention, speed of diagnosis and treatment is key.
For each four-week delay in cancer treatment, another study published in The BMJ reported this can have up to a 10% reduction in survival, so timely diagnosis and treatment is paramount.
At AXA Health, we’ve seen a sharp increase in use of our cancer diagnostic services, including a 52% increase in our skin and breast diagnostic services over the past year.
These services, delivered in collaboration with our partner Check4Cancer, enable members with skin, breast or prostate concerns to self-refer without a GP referral (they need evidence of raised PSA levels for prostate concerns).
Not only is this an easier process for members, it also ensures they get seen quicker.
In Q3 2023, 93% of AXA Health members with a potential breast cancer were offered an appointment within five days.
At that appointment the member will see a specialist and have all required tests completed at the same time.
We’ve worked to make the process as simple as possible for members, to remove some of the worry that comes with a possible cancer diagnosis.
This is reflected in the service scores we see from members: Check4Cancer currently has a 4.83 out of five patient score on Doctify and 100% of AXA Health members say they’d recommend Check4Cancer services.
Holistic approach to patient treatment
What happens beyond a cancer diagnosis?
Clearly, a diagnosis is just one step of a patient’s journey. From the point of diagnosis onwards, all AXA Health members will be connected to their dedicated case manager in our Cancer Care Team who oversee the member’s claim and offer support throughout their experience to the individual and their family.
We receive excellent feedback from members who are under the care of this team with a customer satisfaction score of 90%.
We constantly review lists of eligible treatments – and if a specialist recommends it, we cover the cost of any European Medicines Agency licensed drug that’s prescribed and being used in accordance with its licence.
The support we offer doesn’t just focus on paying claims and overseeing the medical treatment for members – the team also support the member on an individual basis through our holistic support services.
Our personalised six-month health coaching programme includes a dedicated health coach who’ll work with the member to set their own personalised goals and have weekly interactions to track progress.
All members surveyed about this service in 2023 said it had a positive impact on their overall wellbeing.
We’re the only private medical insurance provider in the UK to have partnered with Tired of Cancer to give members access to Untire, to help find ways to reduce the impact of cancer fatigue – according to Macmillan Cancer Support, this is something that affects up to 90% of cancer patients and can even impact them returning to work.
AXA Health members who have used the Untire service since launching in 2021 have reported an average of 25% reduction in their fatigue as a result.
Pioneering for a better future
AXA Health’s work to support our members across their cancer journey goes beyond the services we provide.
For example, we are working with The Health Value Alliance to co-create the Cancer Performance Indicator, a set of international metrics that help us ensure good quality and value cancer care is consistently delivered within the private sector.
But developing this model isn’t something that can or should be done by one or two parties – indeed the Health Value Alliance includes hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical technology, patient groups and other partners such as Check4Cancer, to help us to continually improve cancer care and ensure our members get the very best outcomes and experience.
Missed our latest broker briefings? Listen to Liz, and Gordon Wishart, founder and chief medical officer at Check4Cancer share more detail: Shaping healthcare for today and tomorrow