Introducing
The Big Picture

We’ve launched a new online platform, called The Big Picture, to collect experiences of pancreatic cancer diagnosis, treatment and care across the UK.  

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we want to hear about your experiences of diagnosis, treatment and care. 

To show the Government, health professionals and NHS leaders where things need to improve, it is vital that we have accurate data on pancreatic cancer care in the UK. 

Is there anything like this already?

While there are some existing national cancer experience surveys, they often miss people with pancreatic cancer.

This is because patients are asked to share their experiences around six months after their diagnosis, which is too late for many people with pancreatic cancer. In addition, these surveys only collect information from people who are receiving treatment for their cancer, and we know that many people with pancreatic cancer do not receive any treatment.

Who can take part?

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we want to hear about your experiences. There is no time limit on adding your experiences to The Big Picture, so even if you or your loved one was diagnosed ten years ago or more, you can still take part. 

What will we do with this information? 

Your experiences will be anonymised and held securely. We’ll combine them with the experiences of hundreds of other people who, like you, have been affected by pancreatic cancer. We’ll study the information we collect in The Big Picture to identify patterns and common themes and build the biggest ever picture of pancreatic cancer care in the UK. The data we gather will also support researchers to make life-saving breakthroughs for future patients and their families.  

Add your experience to The Big Picture

Why this is important?

Peter Buzwell lost his daughter, Hayley, to pancreatic cancer when she was just 39 years old. Since her death, Peter and his wife Elizabeth have been working with their local NHS Trust with the aim of using their experiences to improve care for people facing pancreatic cancer.  

Peter says, “We can’t change what’s happened in the past but hopefully we can improve what happens in the future. The Big Picture is about people who have had experiences with pancreatic cancer coming forward and sharing how that’s been for them to help others going forward.” 

Alfie Bailey-Bearfield, Head of Policy and Influencing at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said:

“For too long, people facing pancreatic cancer have been invisible in the data we rely on to drive change. That’s why we’ve launched The Big Picture.

For the first time, we’ll have a detailed, up-to-date picture of what life with pancreatic cancer really looks like across the UK. We’ll use this crucial insight to push for more action from governments across the UK and drive change at both a local and national level in the healthcare system. 

Together, we’ll make a real difference to pancreatic cancer care and the lives of people facing this devastating disease.”

Add your experience to The Big Picture