Who calls the Macmillan Support Line?
We get calls from people affected by cancer, so that might be the patient themselves, their family members, carers or friends. Maybe schools, or an employer wanting some information. We even get calls from doctor surgeries, where the receptionist just wants to know what kind of support we offer.
What do people call the support line for?
Welfare rights is one of the areas we get the most calls for. If you've got cancer, you often can't work, so of course you want to know what benefits are available.
And if someone just wants to talk, that's fine too. Sometimes just having a good cry can help. If there's anything we can help with, we'll look into it – but sometimes just knowing there's someone on the other end of the line is enough. One lady came on the phone who just wanted to scream, and she literally did just that for about five minutes. At the end of it she said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't do that in front of my husband", because it was her husband who had the cancer and she was being brave for him.
How do you manage the range of different questions that people might have?
We've got different specialists we can put people through to – for example, cancer information nurses for any medical questions, or our financial guidance team for help with things like insurance, mortgages and pensions.
How do you feel you help the people who call?
Some people diagnosed with cancer feel like they stop being a person and just become a cancer patient. They lose their identity. Just by talking to them and telling them about the different kinds of support available, it helps them feel like they are somebody. It helps give them some of their identity back.
What do you like the most about your work?
I love being able to say I've actually helped somebody at the end of the day. When someone calls just to say thank you, it always puts a big smile on my face.
Cancer is the toughest fight most of us will ever face but you don't have to go through it alone. Macmillan has a team of experts who can answer questions you have, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm).
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