Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK have launched a three-year partnership which aims to provide two million people living with cancer, and their family and friends, increased access to the information and support they need.

A new online poll by YouGov on behalf of Macmillan highlights that cancer is the biggest health care worry for more than half (54%) of the population. The charity expects the current level of people affected by cancer to double to four million in 2030.

Through their three-year partnership, Macmillan and Boots UK are aiming to improve the lives of those affected by cancer and increase access and awareness of the services and support Macmillan provide.

As the UK’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, Boots UK offers invaluable access to a huge number of people through close to 2,500 stores and the millions of customers who visit these stores each week.

Together, Macmillan and Boots UK will deliver more ways to access information about living with cancer to the high street, in local communities and online. Indeed, Macmillan aims to train 15,000 Boots pharmacists, dispensers and healthcare assistants on the issues surrounding cancer, and in the first year of the partnership, this will focus on the advice support and services that are available to them through Macmillan.

This will build on the specialist training that Boots Health care colleagues already receive to enable them to offer even more comprehensive health care advice on the high street and in local communities. In the first year, customers will also be able to pick up leaflets and general information about cancer from all Boots stores.

“The number of cases of cancer is increasing at a frightening rate so that soon the majority of people in the UK will know someone who is living with the condition," Ciarán Devane, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said. "Members of the public need to be able to find out answers to general questions about cancer so they can help support friends and family or have confidence to speak to a health professional about their concerns, which is why we’re delighted to be working with Boots UK to help enable us to meet this demand.”

According to Macmillan, over a quarter (26%) of the British population say they want to understand more about their friends’ and family members’ illnesses in order to provide them with greater support. Twenty-nine percent also feel responsible for their family’s health and want to find general information in order to know what symptoms to look out for.