A Derry doctor is a the forefront of the fight to improve cancer survival rates across Europe.
Patrick Johnston.
Professor Patrick Johnston is to launch a European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights which aims to address the disparities that currently exist in cancer care from one European country to the next.
The launch, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, coincides with World Cancer Day.
Prof Johnston, from the Waterside in Derry, is the Dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University, and has been at the forefront of cancer research for the past 25 years.
The Bill of Rights is the result of two years’ work by the European Cancer Concord (ECC).
Prof Johnston, a former pupils of St Columb’s College, co-chairs the ECC, which involves 17 European countries and represents more than 1,000 national organisations and millions of cancer patients and survivors.
The key principles of his Bill of Rights are:
the right of every European citizen to receive accurate information and be involved in their own care;
the right of every European citizen to access specialised cancer care underpinned by research and innovation;
the right of every European citizen to cost-effective health systems that ensure optimum cancer outcomes.
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