We could be endangering our health when it comes to serious wellness problems because of our fear of wasting doctor’s time. A project at Kings College London shows that as UK patients we are less likely to visit our GPs when we have cancer concerns, compared with those in other European countries.
Cancer survival
The college worked with Cancer Research UK to find out why cancer survival rates were different among six countries, including the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Canada and Australia. These nations all offer similar wellbeing services to diagnose and treat the condition. The researchers wanted to find out why some populations live longer than others even when we have access to good healthcare services throughout these countries. For example, figures show that 44 per cent of Swedish people survive for a year after a lung cancer diagnosis, but this figure is 30 per cent in the UK.
Why our rates differ
The researchers found that we in the UK have the most fear and embarrassment about going to the doctors with health care complaints that could be linked to the disease, with 15 per cent of us not booking appointments for this reason. Over a third of us are worried about taking up a doctor’s time unnecessarily, while only 9 per cent of Swedes have these fears. We also seem to lack awareness in the UK that we may be more likely to get cancer as we get older because just 14 per cent of us agree that this is the case, with 38 per cent of Swedes knowing this fact.
Improving survival
The cancer charity explains that health boards may need to manage public health campaigns differently to try and bring our survival rates more in line with other countries. Initiatives that focus on getting us talking to our doctors about symptoms, as well as boosting our knowledge about cancer could mean we are better prepared to overcome the condition.
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