People Living in Rural Communities

• Prevalence of cancer was higher than the regional average in all CCGs across Suffolk and North East Essex.
• In 2019/20, there were 6,541 new cases of cancer in the Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG, West Suffolk CCG and North East Essex areas – this is a rate of 635 new cancer cases per 100,000 population (2019/20) (compared to the England rate of 531 per 100,000).
• There is a higher percentage of over 65s in SNEE than the national average – crude rates don’t take account of age (22.2% compared to 17.4%).
• In SNEE there were In the period 2017-19, 56.9%, 56.2% and 58.4% of cancers were diagnosed at stages 1 or 2 in Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG, North East Essex CCG, and West Suffolk CCG areas respectively

1) My local GP practice closed during lockdown meaning we now have to travel 10 miles each way for appointments which can only booked by joining a phone queue at 8pm.

It is virtually impossible for us to arrange transport at such short notice or use an infrequent bus service so how are we supposed to manage?

2) We no longer have an allocated GP so never know who we will be seeing.

3) More people are being sent to Ipswich for cataract surgery but this is an hour+ journey. No transport is offered and no provision made for drivers who have a long wait before a patient is discharged for the return journey.”

Cancer stigma:

• more common among men and people from ethnic minority backgrounds
• fear of finding out you have cancer, or fatalism ‘there is nothing that can be done about it’
• embarrassment or discomfort as screening involves intimate body parts or functions 

Behavioural stigma:

• for example feeling judged for being a smoker

Practical barriers:

• juggling work or caring responsibilities to attend an appointment during the day
• financial cost of attending, especially loss of wages
• carers giving priority to the people they care for rather than themselves

It recommends improving uptake through flexible appointments, text reminders and re-invitations, and publicity to ensure communities with low uptake are fully informed.