 The final item of business this evening is a member's business debate on motion 5853, in the name of Claire Adamson, on pancreatic cancer awareness month 2022. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I invite members wishing to participate to press the request-to-speak buttons now or as soon as possible. With that, I call on Claire Adamson to open the debate for around seven minutes, Ms Adamson. It is a privilege to open this debate to mark pancreatic cancer awareness month in our Parliament. How wonderful it is to see the gallery bedecked in purple by supporters this evening, and it is great to be back in person for this six-debate marking awareness month. Indeed, it is a testament to the extraordinary efforts of the campaigners, many of whom are in the gallery, that we can now say that this is an annual event. I simply want to put it on the record that I note the presence of my constituents, Wendy and Ian Thompson, who tragically lost their daughter at a very similar age to the age of my daughter now. I note that I applaud and salute their bravery and efforts in Cascadian getting information about their tragic disease. I welcome that intervention from my colleague. What has always struck me about this debate is the number of MSPs that has just been demonstrated with a personal or immediate knowledge of this cancer through a family member, friend, loved one or constituent. I wish to send my best wishes to John Scott, former Deputy Presiding Officer, whose own account of his wife's passing from and his own challenges facing this disease left not a dry eye in this place a few years ago. While my interest was driven by my former employee, Nikki McManus, whose mum sadly passed from pancreatic cancer, this evening I would like to pay special tribute to Mark McCall. It will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me that I am all things safety in this Parliament. I hosted the Scottish Community Safety Network event earlier this year, and Mark helped to start Fife Council's safer communities team in 2016. He was the director of the Scottish Community Safety Network and his leadership and expertise made a lasting impact on safety policies and his colleagues in this area. Mark sadly passed away in September after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and the tributes that he poured in for Mark showed the enormous impact that he had on his community. His legacy will last, and I thank him for his wonderful contribution. We have Mark's family here tonight. Clodette, Ross, Jordanne, Amy and Sarah, you are very welcome. Indeed, to the entire gallery this evening, thank you to you all. You stand out as some of the most dedicated, knowledgeable and tenacious campaigners that I have worked with. It is through your tenacity that we have made strides in raising the policy profile of this devastating disease, and we have gotten pancreatic cancer on the national agenda. I thank the cabinet secretary and the minister for their engagement in the areas that we have raised over the years. Public awareness of the symptoms remains concerningly low. That is why pancreatic cancer awareness month is important, as ever. Early diagnosis is crucial. We know that, and we speak every year on the need for early intervention. The message cannot get lost. The following statistics show the challenge that we still face and why this debate is so needed. According to Pancreatic Cancer UK, less than 20 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed at an early stage. Seven in ten people with pancreatic cancer will never receive any treatment, and only one in ten will receive surgery. Around half of pancreatic cancer patients visit their GP with symptoms at least three times before being referred to hospital, while 16 per cent visit their GP seven times or more before receiving a correct diagnosis. According to Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland's October survey, 62 per cent of people in Scotland know almost nothing about pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile, two thirds of the people in the UK cannot name a single symptom, so I want to remind people of what symptoms to look for. Common symptoms include back pain, indigestion, tummy pain and unexplained weight loss or a loss of appetite. Anyone with jaundice, yellowing of the eyes or skin should immediately go to A and E. Research commissioned by Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland found that a new diagnosis of diabetes, not associated with weight gain, can occur one to three years before a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. With 30 per cent of pancreatic cancer patients presenting with new onset diabetes before their diagnosis of the cancer, we have a potential to diagnose 270 more patients a year at an earlier stage. As pancreatic cancer UK has exemplified with their new no-time-to-weight campaign, people cannot afford for a weight and have a late diagnosis. For context, Scotland's five-year survival rate is just 4.6 per cent. Those diagnosed in time for potential life-saving surgery have a five-year survival rate of around 30 per cent. With the early intervention, people can be diagnosed, live longer and have a better quality of life. Scotland is leading on this. I have spoken before about the work of precision pancrean Glasgow and my colleagues will highlight some of that good work. I have the pleasure to continue to work with Linda Murray, whose father, Mr Begley, died from pancreatic cancer, and she keeps me abreast of the progress of the work of Ross Carter and his colleagues in the pancreatial, hepatocellular cancer pathway improvement project, the CHCCPIP, for short. Let's commence to phase 1 of roll-out earlier this year. I understand that the first referrals have been already received, and planning continues for phase 2 roll-out, which will be confirmed for Monday 5 December. However, the challenges exist. The Royal College of Radiographers warns us that, without immediate measures to grow pancreatic cancer workforce, treatment success and patient care will be compromised. We know that the infrastructure of the health sector is under pressure, and we have fewer scanners in the UK than the most comparable countries in the OECD. More generally, getting the right support is crucial. Pancreatic cancer UK is a team of specialists and pancreatic cancer nurses, but only 125 people called this helpline from Scotland last year. The third sector is vital, but it cannot be a panacea for support. I am grateful that we have successive health secretaries who have listened and understood these challenges. Pancreatic cancer is uniquely aggressive and its survival rates are tragically low, but investment in addressing has increased since we have been having these debates six years ago. We need to continue to raise public awareness of the symptoms and impact of pancreatic cancer, and we need to consider how current policy deals with this cancer. Finally, UK pancreatic cancer reps 20 per cent of cancer deaths in the UK. However, it only receives 3 per cent of all research funding. Our engagement on those issues is absolutely essential. I thank the minister, Mary Todd and Cabinet Secretary Humby, who have all my parliamentary colleagues, who visited the drop-in hosted by pancreatic cancer UK earlier this month. People and families behind those figures are counting on us to listen but more to act. Thank you very much indeed, Ms Anderson. How we move to the open debate, I call Sue Webber to be followed by Gillian Martin, around four minutes, Ms Webber. I thank Clare Adamson for bringing this debate to the chamber this evening, and for her speech that was full of emotion, I thank Clare Adamson for bringing harsh realities to the chamber of the disease but is also full of hope. I also thank the members of public who are in the gallery who have taken the time to come this evening to hear us speak. November is pancreatic cancer awareness month and I welcome the chance to speak in this debate to show my support. It is a fantastic chance for the pancreatic cancer community to come together, to raise awareness, funds and also to remember loved ones who have sadly died of this disease. 10,000 people across the UK are diagnosed each year, yet only one in four people diagnosed survive beyond a year. Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in Scotland, with around 900 people dying of the disease each year in Scotland. Over half of those diagnosed will die within three months, and only 7 per cent will survive more than five years. My life before this chamber allowed me unparalleled access to the surgical treatment of this deadly cancer. I worked alongside upper GI surgical consultants across the country, and I know first hand of the complex nature of the surgery needed to treat pancreatic cancer. Those are very much specialist surgeons that are committed to adopting innovative techniques to reduce surgical operative time, even by the slightest margins, and to seek new ways to reduce risk, surgical risk and post operative complications. Those all serve to make survival rates better and those lives as livable as possible. They all work collaboratively across the NHS to do all they can to increase the five-year survival of their patients, but the outcomes following the potentially life-saving surgery are still a long way from being acceptable. There has barely been any improvement in pancreatic cancer survival rates in the past 50 years, and the survival gap between pancreatic and other cancels has doubled in the past 50 years. Although the likelihood of surviving other cancers beyond five years is 50 per cent for pancreatic cancer, it is just 7 per cent. There can be no progress without change, and the need to improve pancreatic cancer diagnosis and outcomes in Scotland is urgent. Pancreatic cancer, after all, is the fifth biggest cancer killer in the UK. However, as Clare Adamson has rightly said, it only receives 3 per cent of the annual UK cancer research budget. Raising awareness is key because two thirds of people in the UK cannot name a single symptom of this cancer. Pancreatic Action Cancer Scotland completed a national awareness survey in October with some concerning results, where they found that only 62 per cent of people in Scotland know almost nothing about pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has vague and non-specific symptoms and lacks a simple test for detection. That is what makes it hard to diagnose, and unfortunately around half of pancreatic cancer patients visit their GP with their symptoms three times before being referred to hospital. Although those stats paint a bleak picture of the disease, with early diagnosis, pancreatic cancer can be survived. For those diagnosed in time for potential life-saving surgery, five-year survival increases to around 30 per cent. That is an opportunity for intervention where people can be diagnosed earlier and live longer with a far better quality of life. Such a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can affect every aspect of life, bringing emotional, financial and practical problems that can last long after the treatment ends. So, if you are in a position and are listening to this debate today, can I take this chance to direct you to the practical, emotional and financial support for Macmillan cancer support? As a first step, call their telephone line, Macmillan support line 0808808000. Seven days a week, 8am to 8pm, or please go to their website for help. Again, I would like to reinforce the thanks to Clare Adamson for bringing the debate to Parliament and for helping to raise the awareness of pancreatic cancer. I want to thank Clare Adamson for securing the debate. Six consecutive debates on pancreatic cancer that she has led. Her dedication to the cause gives us the chance in the chamber to raise awareness of the symptoms of this terrible disease, which we have heard from others that have been so crucial to catch early. Last year in the debate, I said that I am always aware that when we read out statistics on pancreatic cancer that there will be people watching at home or indeed in the gallery who may have just received a diagnosis being treatment or as close to someone who is. Ahead of this year's debate, I spoke to my constituent Christine Wilson, who is currently undergoing some treatment for pancreatic cancer. Christine wasn't well enough to make it to the parliamentary event that Clare Adamson hosted a couple of weeks ago, so we had a Zoom call instead. At the point of last year's debate, she was undiagnosed, and she has urged me to relay the message that continuous and strong public messaging around the symptoms is absolutely vital, because Christine was one of those people who didn't know what her symptoms were, and one of those people went to the doctor repeatedly and had other diagnosis before they actually hit on the right one. In our conversation, she made at the point that one of the reasons why her back and stomach pain wasn't identified as pancreatic cancer was because she didn't fit the profile. Her cancer was thought to be something else related to digestion, and I have heard that quite a few times when I have been speaking to colleagues from pancreatic cancer UK, and the fact is that anyone can get pancreatic cancer. So Christine and I are putting out a press release after this debate so that we can jointly get that message out to our local media, and she said that if there's one thing that she wants to do is to let others know what to look out for, and she says that if publicising her story can help others know the symptoms, then something positive can come out of this, and I'm happy to help her to do that in any way that I can. And pancreatic cancer have also produced, and I hope that the Presiding Officer will forgive me for using the prop, but they've produced this wallet-sized leaflet that details the symptoms, and last week some of our colleagues from PCUK, and I had a little chat with Mary Todd, the minister, about putting links to PCUK on NHS Informs so that those with a diagnosis can get in touch with them for the immediate support, which is especially important for those for whom surgical options are too late. So to Christine, I promise that I do what I can today to raise awareness of the symptoms that could be pancreatic cancer, so that anyone who had them like Christine could have a better idea of what they mean or what they could mean and to go to the doctor with that in mind. And that's how I'm going to end my contribution that's repeating what Claire Adamson's already said, but that's the whole point of this, and we need to repeat what these symptoms are. Please get yourself to the GP if you have any of these symptoms. If you're back or stomach hurts, it could be that tumour is pushing against nerves or organs near the pancreas and blocking the digestive tract. Similarly, if you feel bloated, get it checked because pancreatic cancer may cause gas, bloating or build up of fluid in the abdomen. A loss of appetite in digestion or nausea are common with people who have pancreatic cancer as constipation or diarrhea, and if you're losing weight and you don't know why, it could be because cancer is causing your body to burn more calories than usual. Finally, if your skin and eyes look yellow, it could be jaundice caused by a tumour that might be blocking the bile duct that should flow from the gallbladder to the small intestine. Presiding Officer, the message from Christine is clear. Don't stay silent if you have any of those symptoms. I want to thank Christine for taking the time to talk to me today about her story. Like her, I hope that at least one person today watches this debate, listens to all of us and acts on the advice that we're given and will be able to get life-saving treatment. I also thank Claire Adamson for bringing this debate to the chamber and to those who joined us in the gallery. Welcome. On behalf of Scottish Labour, can I mark pancreatic cancer awareness month and also world pancreatic cancer day, which took place as we have heard earlier this month? Raising awareness of illness such as pancreatic cancer is absolutely pivotal to ensuring early diagnosis and improving prognosis, as we have heard. Indeed, like I did last year, Presiding Officer, and as others have done, I consider it important to highlight in the chamber that key symptoms of pancreatic cancer, including abdominal pain, back pain or discomfort, unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite, yelling of the skin or eyes and itchy skin, changing bowel habits, nausea or vomiting, and indigestion that does not respond to treatment. Knowing the symptoms and seeking medical advice that we have heard, even as a precaution, can be life-saving or life-prolonging. It is key that we continue to support the public awareness campaigns, as many other members have said today. I also want to just mention our NHS, Presiding Officer. We cannot avoid the fact that we have here in Scotland an NHS that is not always working for patients and staff, an NHS that was founded to be universal, free at the point of need and accessible is now struggling through no fault of our first-class workforce to survive on a daily basis. We cannot fill vacancies and I think that we need to be more honest and talk about the reality for patients, families and staff as we face this. As I said, I do not want to labour that point particularly, but I do want to talk about the reality of inequality and health in Scotland today. In this same debate around this time last year, I warned that the Scottish Government must do more to tackle the widespread health inequalities, which to this day remain a stain on our society and adversely impact those from our most deprived areas. The reality is that the Government does not show enough urgency in dealing with this problem. Research released by Cancer Research this week has highlighted that people living in deprived areas in Scotland are more likely to get cancer and, tragically, are more likely to die. It highlighted that cancer death rates are a devastating 74 per cent higher in the most deprived populations than the least deprived populations. The research confirms that there are lower one- and five-year survival rates among the most deprived groups. That is the reality of those in Scotland's poorest communities and we should all be shocked by that. It is right that we have these debates and often in this very consensual manner that we do during members' debates, but I urge the minister in her closing remarks this evening to ask her whether she commits to coming to the chamber during Government time to set out a clear plan for what has already become a crisis in health inequalities in Scotland today. We must take action to address the health inequalities facing our country linked to cancer. The most recent public health Scotland data confirms that pancreatic cancer remains in the top 10 most common cancers among men and women. Overall, as the motion states, it is in the deadliest of the common cancers. If nothing else, that should encourage serious and prompt action. It is important that we take the opportunity this evening to highlight the symptoms of pancreatic cancer and to encourage everyone with even a slightest doubt or concern to seek medical advice. It could be life-saving. However, in this chamber, as elected members, it is the decisions that we make that can save lives. It is the decisions and radical and determined fight against health inequalities that can make a difference. I urge the chamber to have time to debate this further. I thank you again to Clare Adamson for bringing the debate to the chamber, and to those who came to the gallery. Thank you very much indeed, Ms Mockin. I now call Willie Coffey to be followed by Miles Briggs for around four minutes, Mr Coffey. Presiding Officer, thank you and once again congratulations to my colleague Clare Adamson for bringing the subject of pancreatic cancer to the chamber. Clare has been a strong advocate in this subject for a number of years now and her continuing endeavour is much appreciated. We probably all have our own stories to tell about this difficult cancer and my own family's experience of it dates back to 1985, when my mother died from the disease. Taken far too early at the age of 53, there's never a day goes by when the family don't think about her. This debate helps me too, Presiding Officer, to keep her with me from day to day. My last speech, though, was in 2020, and I wonder if more members recall that very moving speech made by John Scott, our colleague who thankfully recovered his own health at that time after a long illness. It's those powerful contributions that help us to get the message out to the Scottish people about the current work going on and the real hope that progress is being made in the fight against this cancer. The stats are challenging to say the least, with a much lower survival rate than most other cancers. It's not the most common cancer in Scotland, ranking about 12 in the list, but it claims up that table, sadly, in terms of deaths that it causes. That's why more work needs to be done to fight it. The new 10-year cancer strategy will surely focus its attention on the most deadly of all the cancers that we have to worry about and help us to drive up those survival rates. The ability to spot the symptoms early is always important, as are the rapid cancer diagnosis pilots operating in three health board areas in Scotland, which are showing that 12 per cent of patients receive an early cancer diagnosis, including pancreatic cancer, in the crucial fight against the disease. The current evaluation is showing that these pilots are a useful way of rolling in or out cancer for patients with non-specific symptoms. As pancreatic cancer UK says, it could be life changing for pancreatic cancer patients. Early diagnosis can save your life. As ever, there is some great work going on in the research field, with Scotland leading the way in some of the innovative approaches being undertaken. The Glasgow Cancer Centre uses patient biopsies to collect information that can be used to direct treatment of clinical trials that are personalised to that individual. PrecisionPanc, Clare Adamson, mentioned in the debate a couple of years ago, has led by a team at Glasgow University and is a collaborative endeavour that focuses on uncovering the molecular profile of people and matching that up to the most effective clinical trials for them. Pancreatic Cancer UK is collaborating with the Beatson Institute to fund five PhD students to work on the disease as part of their future leaders academy. One other piece of work being done by the Institute of Cancer Research that sounds really interesting to me is something called gremlin therapy. It is not easy to follow, but apparently the presence of the gremlin protein has been demonstrated to reverse the fate of the dangerous cells in the body. Working alongside another chemical that regulates the amount of the protein, these two molecules work hand in hand to create something called a self-inhibitory feedback loop that has been shown to restrict cancer spread to only 15 per cent of the test samples. What is even more interesting, perhaps, is that this modelling was first predicted by none other than the computer science genius Alan Turing, so there is great hope that this therapy can bear fruit. We all know that this is one of the hardest cancers to fight, but I am encouraged to read about the current work going on in Scotland and across the world to try and tackle it. The research is exciting, early results are positive, so let's hope that this work ultimately makes a difference and helps to deliver the breakthrough that we need against what is one of the most dangerous cancers that we face. Finally, congratulations again to Clare Adamson for bringing the subject to the attention of the Parliament. Thank you very much, Mr Coffey. I now call Miles Briggs to be followed by Marie McNeill again around four minutes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I start by thanking Clare Adamson as well for bringing this debate forward again this year. It's really very welcome that members can contribute. I also welcome to the public gallery all the guests we have. You're very welcome and it's great to see so many who have been campaigning for so long and very much campaign for us to make sure that we continue to have these debates, and I think that that's important. Like Willie Coffey said and Sue Webber as well, I think that this debate is now a really important one in the parliamentary diary to present an opportunity for us all to remember those who we have lost to this disease, but also those who have lived, and I think that that's also important that we register that. I thank colleagues for the kind words that they've said about my former MSP colleague John Scott. He was in Parliament just a couple of weeks ago with his grandchildren and is well and enjoying life outside of politics, which is maybe a lesson for all of us, to be quite honest, but it was good to see him, and I know certainly he follows these debates as well. I wanted to touch upon some of the information that was provided to me during the drop-in session, which was held a couple of weeks ago on the 17th during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, because here in my own region, Cancer Region of the South East Scotland, there were 251 people diagnosed in 2020 through our cancer network, and statistically it is a grim situation when you look at an average of only 27.3 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer surviving more than a year from that diagnosis. That is what we need to focus all our thoughts on. Yesterday, as Carol Mocken pointed towards, I co-chaired the Scottish Cancer Conference, along with Jackie Baillie. I think that it is one of the most shocking reports that I have ever read and seen, and it is, specifically, a purple prop. Sorry, Deputy Presiding Officer, but deprivation in cancer inequalities in Scotland. I hope that everyone has a chance to read this document across the Parliament, because it really shows the need for an emergency response to where cancer services are in Scotland. I welcome the work that is currently taking place around the Scottish Government's national cancer strategy, but it really overlaps with what we have been calling for for many years with regard to pancreatic cancer. That is around real investment in our rapid diagnosis and decision to treat pathways, which is something that we all need to see improvement on. I wanted to close on a positive note, because I was delighted to visit the PrositionPank project at the Beats in a few years ago, just before the pandemic. Ahead of this debate, I reached out to find out what work has been going on. It is important to recognise that amazing achievement that is taking place here in Scotland at this moment in time. There have been 32 recruitment centres put in place. I believe 500 patients are now registered. 300 patients have now been able to progress to clinical trials. Those trials, I think, to date, are up to Primus 008 coming forward, 006 and 008 over the next three to six months. We are making welcome steps forward on that. I think that one of the bits of information that I was told that biopsy for pancreatic cancer has now become the norm as well, which I think is incredibly important and welcome when you speak to patients. So often, people are just progressing to a pallative pathway without any investigation. I think that what is important is that we have also seen the molecular profiling of pancreatic cancer now becoming a reality in the NHS as well. However, there are two challenges that I want to close on, and that specifically is around research, because we know that there needs to be a sustained need for more investment. For pharmaceutical partners as well to be part of that, to make sure that pancreatic cancer is a disease that they are investing in as well. I hope that, on the back of the debate ministers, as they look towards the national cancer strategy, we will really be looking at this. We need to see pancreatic cancer given a priority within rapid diagnosis and decision-making pathways to treat, because we are still not where we need to be as a country on that. That is what each and every one of us should be challenging the Government on. Certainly, from the conversations that I had yesterday at the Scottish Cancer Conference, that is what the sector wants to see, and we all should be working towards that. Thank you very much indeed, Mr Biggs and I call Marie McNair again in around four minutes. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I begin by congratulating Clare Adamson for schooling this debate and for her excellent opening speech made with compassion. It is important that we take this opportunity to not only recognise pancreatic cancer awareness month but strive to improve the response to the stressful disease. I use this debate to ensure the voices of my constituents impacted by pancreatic cancer are heard in this chamber. My constituent, Amri Adams and her mother Margaret, have travelled through from Playbank to support today's debate, and I welcome them both here today. Amri's husband Billy passed peacefully this year on 17 June, just two months after his diagnosis. He was surrounded by his loving family, who had to cope with losing him at 55 years of age. Billy was a born and bred bankie, working in security and in pubs within his local area. A diehard Liverpool and Glasgow Warrior fan, he had hoped to visit his beloved Anfield before he died. Unfortunately, he did not get the chance. However, Amri and her mum did visit Anfield at the start of this month to mark Billy's 56th birthday on 8 November and to scatter some of his ashes in the River Mersey. Amri feels that general public and health protectors alike need to be more aware of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to enable a quicker diagnosis. Also, her experiences have convinced her of the needs for enhanced end-of-life care and support. Better communication and streamlined services are essential to help those impacted to enable them to use the time that they have left to greatest effect. Unfortunately for Billy, his cancer was too far advanced to receive treatment. Amri wants everything to be done to prevent other families from facing the same heartache. I welcome another of my constituents, Katie Henry, from Moggai, who is watching online. She also wants more awareness of this terrible disease to which she lost her grandmother. Christine sadly passed away on 25 June, 2021, at the age of 79, leaving behind her husband of 57 years' bill, her three children, five grandchildren and two grand-dogs. Christine was a retired primary school teacher who loved singing in rock choirs with her favourite number being Dancing Queen by Abba. She was a devoted grandmother and had a large network of friends, always managing to make people feel special whilst in her company. Christine was back and forth to her GP, who eventually referred to her hospital for tests. She was tested in December 2020 for bowel cancer, which came back clear. Christine continued to feel unwell and, knowing that something was not quite right, decided to go private for a scan. That detected a shadow on her pancreas. Further tests were carried out, with Christine eventually being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on 26 March 2021. Christine's ashes were scattered in Muddock Country Park and on the beach in Anstrother. Those were places that she enjoyed visiting, having happy times there with her family. Her granddaughter Katie would like increased funding, better scanner capacity, quicker referrals from doctors, clinical trials, person-centred care and more research. It is an honour on behalf of my constituents to share their heartbreaking experiences with Parliament. I pay tribute to their strength and determination to highlight how important early diagnosis is to saving lives. We know that this is one of the deadliest cancer forms, with 900 people dying each year in Scotland, and yet two thirds of people in the UK cannot name a single symptom of pancreatic cancer. We must do more to get the message out there that is symptoms and ensure that it is given the correct response in the new cancer strategy for Scotland. I also praise Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland and Pancreatic Cancer UK for everything that they do to raise awareness of their support for today's event. The powerful testimonies from my constituents must drive us on to do everything that we can to get the best possible answer to the dreadful impact of pancreatic cancer. We must show that we have listened and ensure that the response to this cancer gets the priority it deserves. I would like to thank Clare Adamson for raising this motion in the chamber today and for my colleagues' important contributions. In addition, I want to thank Pancreatic Cancer UK for their continued efforts in both raising awareness of pancreatic cancer and in supporting pancreatic cancer patients. I attended a parliamentary drop-in a couple of weeks ago and I was really delighted to see just how many members from across the chamber were engaging with the event. I have to say, as ever, that annual event has been very powerful today. It is always a pleasure to have the stories of the citizens of Scotland brought to life in this chamber and to have people visiting for whom it is so meaningful the debate that we have. It really is the Scottish Parliament at its best and I too welcome the friends and families and volunteers and workers from Pancreatic Cancer UK. At the event, a couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to speak to a few of the employees of the charity and their volunteers who have many of them have their own personal experience with pancreatic cancer. Those individual stories are so impactful just as we have heard today, the personal stories. It is through those testimonies that we can identify where we can improve services further. From my conversations a couple of weeks ago, patient information remains an issue when a patient is diagnosed and we know that it can be really difficult for an individual to understand all of the information that is provided as they are processing the initial diagnosis. It is so important that we provide resources for patients not just at the beginning of their cancer diagnosis but throughout their treatment pathway. That is why the Scottish Government is piloting 12 programmes across Scotland. That programme sets out to ensure that all patients will have a constant point of contact throughout their cancer pathway to continually refer back to, rather than needing to make new contacts as they go along their testing treatment and post-treatment support. That single point of contact will ensure that patients are receiving timely and accurate advice on their appointments, their tests and their results, and it will offer the opportunity to discuss the non-clinical support that is available and to help patients to self-manage some aspects of their condition. However, not only is it crucial to have the information throughout a patient's pathway, it is also crucial to ensure that there is an awareness of pancreatic cancer before they have even been diagnosed, as many have mentioned in the chamber. We are all aware in this chamber that November is pancreatic cancer awareness month. Raising awareness of pancreatic cancer and its common symptoms—back pain, yellowing skin, indigestion, tummy pain and weight loss—is absolutely crucial in detecting pancreatic cancer early. We know that earlier that cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat and that is why we continue to invest in our detect cancer early programme, which takes a whole systems approach to early detection and encompasses primary care, secondary care, public awareness, data and screening. An overarching detector of pancreatic cancer early—I think that I'll just call it DCE now, we do love these acronyms—social marketing campaign survivors was developed in close consultation with the other Scottish Cancer Coalition, and that includes pancreatic charity representation in 2018. The campaign aimed to reduce the fear around cancer and empower people to take early action. To coincide with the campaign, an interactive tool was developed on DCE's website, getcheckedearly.org, to raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer, including pancreatic. A new DCE awareness campaign is under development and will launch in spring next year. I would encourage any individual who might be experiencing common symptoms of cancer to present to their GP. As committed to in our NHS recovery plan, works under way through the centre for sustainable deliveries of earlier cancer diagnosis programme board to develop a new earlier cancer diagnosis vision. That will form part of Scotland's new cancer strategy, expected in spring 2023. Extensive engagement has been undertaken to date to develop our next cancer strategy. Our consultation analysis has been published, which pulls out a number of key themes and priority areas for the Government to consider. Pancreatic cancer, as one of the less survivable cancers, has yet again been highlighted as an area of need. We have previously highlighted less survivable cancers through our national cancer plan and have focused a number of our actions and investment in this area. Notably, we are working with the Scottish Hepato-Pancreato Bill, the HPB network, to improve pathways across pancreatic and liver cancers. We have invested £653,000 of funding to that network over two financial years to redesign those cancer pathways. That work is aimed to improve patient outcomes and experience. I like everyone in this chamber. I absolutely look forward to us making the technological advances that are required particularly in early diagnosis because far too many people, as we have heard today, have advanced cancer at the point that they receive a diagnosis. A number of members mentioned the Cancer Research UK report on inequalities, which was published yesterday. Cabinet Secretary Hamza Yousaf attended that conference into a short speech and he then took a Q&A. He also met the CRU chief executive afterwards to discuss it in more detail. We continue to tackle disparities in deprived areas by ensuring that there is equitable access to cancer services via our national cancer plan. The new 10-year strategy launching in spring next year will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. I am always aware when I discuss health inequalities as we do many times in this chamber that there is a level of complexity involved in how poverty impacts on health. People who live in poverty are more likely to get cancer in the first place. We know that they are more likely to smoke and they are more likely to be a beast. Those are the two biggest risk factors for cancer. They are more likely to have a later diagnosis. I heard a patient advocate speak very powerfully on the radio yesterday a man called Ali, who was a fireman who had worked his whole life with people from socioeconomically deprived communities. He talked about the difficulties in accessing healthcare and the difficulties in being listened to. There is less uptake of screening. We have a huge programme of work invested in that to try to ensure that people who are living in poverty take up the offers of screening. Cervical cancer, for example, if screening is taken up, will prevent cancer. It does not just detect it early, it catches it before it is even cancer. Poverty in reality kills and we are doing much in this Parliament to tackle poverty, but as mentioned many times before, not all the levers are in our hands. We are tackling poverty from the Scottish child payment, promoting the real living wage and there is a raft of initiatives around it. I suppose to sum up on the issue of health inequalities. Health inequalities are complex, they do relate from wealth inequalities, but they are also about status inequalities and about inequalities in power. A cultural shift is required to tackle those. Again, you see work going on within the Scottish NHS to ensure that we have person-centred care, realistic medicine and shared decision making. All of those things decide to empower people who come through our system. The Scottish Government is very clear in its commitment to improving cancer awareness. We have continued to prioritise cancer services throughout the pandemic, and we will continue to do so as we recover and head into this winter period. It is absolutely crucial that we continue to raise awareness of cancer symptoms, particularly among those less-survivable cancers such as pancreatic, and I want to thank everyone who is helping us to do so.