A CANCER survivor is working with a charity and local health organisations to help shape future services for sufferers.

It was in A&E that Bashir Ahmed, 34, from St James Road, Blackburn, was diagnosed with bowel cancer — and he believes more needs to be done to improve awareness and early diagnosis.

He is part of a patient user group, set up by the Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership, to share views and experiences and help improve services in the area.

Bashir said: “When they told me it was cancer I froze with shock. It was the first time I thought about dying. After I had surgery, the doctors did not think I would pull through. It was the scariest time of my life.

“I heard about the work Macmillan was doing and wanted to get involved, because my family and I feel I should have been diagnosed earlier. I am very lucky to have survived.”

The Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership is investing £1 million in a pioneering three-year programme to provide better care.

A key focus of the project is improving cancer awareness and early diagnosis by working closely with all 90 GP practices in the area.

The work involves practice-nurse training, setting up practice cancer-care teams and implementing a standard two-week-wait referral system.

There is also a project to increase uptake of bowel screening in the area among those aged 60 to 75.

Local uptake is around seven per cent lower than the national average, according to latest figures from Public Health England.

Since April 2014, 740 people across the area have been contacted and 200 new participants identified and screened.

Bashir said: “People do not know what services are provided and they do not go to their GP, which is why I wanted to get involved in raising awareness.

“The more information that is out there, the more chance there is of lives being saved. Early diagnosis is key.”

Jeremy Such, Macmillan development manager in Lancashire, said: “Bashir’s experience highlights the issues we have around early diagnosis and cancer awareness in east Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.

“We know that early diagnosis dramatically increases chances of survival, which is why we are investing heavily in this area.

“Work is already under way to increase uptake of bowel screening in particular and to improve awareness of early signs and symptoms among health professionals and the public.

“All 90 GP practices in the area have signed up to be part of the improvement work and have already introduced new ways of working to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

“We are also consulting patients like Bashir regularly to ensure that cancer services reflect patient needs.”

Cllr Mohammed Khan, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for health and adult social care, said: “The project is all about transforming cancer care locally and his input, as well as that of others who sign up via Nazmun Usman’s patient user group, will play a vital part in achieving that.”

To be involved in the patient user group and share your views, or to join in with future events, contact Nazmun Usman on 07803 203702 or at nazmun.usman@blackburn.gov.uk or visit www.macmillan.org.uk.