Ezinne Joy Ezeala, Consultant Pharmacist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“What an amazing time at London Global Cancer Week final day summit; Health disparities and inequalities in cancer- awareness to action. The day was ably chaired by the ever fashionable Bookie Dr Olubukola Ayodele alongside a stellar team of facilitators.
From keynote speakers to panelists, from presenters to patients sharing lived experiences, every single session was impactful. The room was full of doers in various spaces, working towards a single goal.
What did I learn?
There is a lack of representation in clinical research. This means that data within primary evidence is over 90% Caucasian. This could have implications for treatment outcomes in BAME patients who have not been part of clinical trials.
There is built-in bias in published guidelines and policies. This is being tackled by equality impact assessments and work between the NHS Racial Health Observatory and NICE.
Uptake of screening and vaccination is impacted by Trust. Get this, Trust is a determinant of health. ‘Trust comes in on foot and leaves on horseback.’
I learnt a whole host of other things such as the role of advocacy, perseverance, collaboration, listening to patients etc.
What can we do?
Get involved!
Start!
Learn. Share lessons. Share good practice.
Be ambitious -reach for the stars and you might get the moon.
Think racism. Think bias. Think systems approach. Think sustainability.
There is CAN in Cancer!
Thank you so much for a truly great week of learning. Yesterday was exceptional. I connected with so many inspirational people. I look forward to working with you.
Well done to all involved and thanks again.”
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