Council becomes first to pass Motion on Pancreatic Cancer

East Hampshire District Council has made history by becoming the first council in the country to pass a motion on pancreatic cancer. The motion called upon the council to agree to work alongside Pancreatic Cancer Action or other organisations to:

• Share information about pancreatic cancer and its symptoms on its website and social media channels
• Offer the Pancreatic Cancer Action occupational health training to staff on symptoms awareness
• Display symptom awareness posters in the council public buildings each November
• Provide community groups, charities and partners with information on pancreatic cancer and local support services
• Ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care to ensure the incoming Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System has the funding needed to support all cancer patients and improve early diagnosis

The motion, which was proposed by Councillor Paula Langley, and seconded by Councillor Stephen Dolan, was passed on Thursday, November 11 at the East Hampshire District Council Full Council meeting. Councillor Langley’s own father is one of many who noticed symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, due to the pressure on the NHS, it led to a late diagnosis. The motion was backed using our survey data which highlighted that 69% of residents in the South East of England “know nothing/almost nothing” about the disease and 74% cannot name a single symptom, with around 1,600 diagnosed with the disease in the region each year.

It was passed unanimously after an emotional debate, with many councillors reflecting upon their own experiences, and had to be stopped for a break during the proceedings.

On the motion being passed, Joe Kirwin, Health Policy & Projects Manager, said: "It's really positive to see East Hampshire District Council being proactive during this, the 10th Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. We look forward to seeing the results of this motion and will support the council in any way we can as a charity. Thank you to all the councillors for sharing their experiences, particularly Councillor Paula Langley for proposing the motion, and Councillor Stephen Dolan for seconding it."

The work at East Hampshire District Council is only the beginning and highlights how much progress could be made if other councils follow suit. If you would like more information on how you can campaign and push your council to act, you can either click here or email the Health, Policy & Projects team for more information on how you can get involved. You can email them at healthinfo@panact.org.