Macmillan recently announced that there are almost 3.5 million people living with cancer in the UK. This is the highest figure ever reported, and it is only expected to rise in the future.

In working together, Macmillan and Perci Health recognise that – with hundreds of thousands of lives being turned upside down by cancer every year, and with healthcare systems facing increasing pressure right across the UK – new solutions need to be explored by the cancer care community.

Macmillan’s investment into Perci Health is the latest development in the charity’s ongoing work to explore emerging new cancer care technologies and approaches, all to improve care for those living with cancer now, while revolutionising cancer care for those who will be diagnosed in the future as well.

The new partnership brings together Macmillan’s unwavering 100-year commitment to delivering ‘betterness’ in cancer care, with an innovative new way of accessing cancer support that has been developed by one of the UK’s leading healthcare innovators.

Perci Health has spent the last five years developing a virtual cancer clinic that reimagines how people access support, combining digital innovation and human care to improve outcomes for people impacted by cancer through partnerships with people’s employers and insurers. They are the UK’s most comprehensive private virtual cancer clinic. 

As a result of the investment, Perci Health aims to expand its services to more workplaces and insurance providers and aims to eventually look at extending the reach of their virtual clinic model by working in partnership with statutory health systems across the UK.

More than 1,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each day in the UK and advances in early detection and treatment are increasing survival rates. For many people cancer is increasingly being considered as a long-term condition, with many treatment types moving to chronic therapies.

But while more people are living with cancer, not everyone is living well.  Many will face years of testing, will continue to feel the psychological toll of a cancer diagnosis, and face the ongoing physical impact of their treatment. People can often face a lifetime of treatment side effects, fears of recurrence, as well as having to manage coexisting conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or chronic pain.

Globally, there has also been an 80% increase in cancer diagnoses in people under 50 over the past three decades. This shift, coupled with the rising number of people living with and beyond cancer, means healthcare systems must adapt to manage more cases of cancer as a chronic condition while doing more to support people with cancer who are of working age.

Despite these growing needs, the UK is not equipped to provide everyone with the long-term, specialised support required and many people with cancer report a high level of unmet need. Recent figures from Macmillan show more than one in four people with cancer in the UK (29%) have multiple concerns across at least four major areas of their lives – physical, emotional, practical and financial. It means new solutions are urgently needed to support the growing number of people living with cancer in the UK.

Perci Health is leading the way in delivering a new approach to cancer care, with its fully integrated, multidisciplinary model already being made available to more than 500,000 people for free should they need it through partnerships with their employers and insurers.

Perci Health offers support across the entire cancer continuum, from prevention and early detection to treatment support, rehabilitation and return-to-work services.

Personalised programmes of cancer care are provided to individuals impacted by cancer and their loved ones, through a virtual cancer clinic platform that connects members to a broad, expert team of over 85 NHS trained cancer specialists across 17 disciplines, including cancer nursing, psycho-oncology, physiotherapy, dietetics, lymphoedema, genetic counselling and much more.

All Perci Health members are assigned a dedicated nurse specialist who, after a holistic assessment of the member’s health status and goals, creates a personalised care plan and curates a bespoke rehabilitation team.

This innovative new model is designed to improve access to care, reduce healthcare costs by ensuring the right healthcare professional or evidence-based intervention is given at the right time and to ultimately empower members to better self-manage their condition in the long-term.

Results from Perci’s approach speak for themselves.

Fact box

• Perci Health is currently partnering with health and protection insurers, occupational health providers, and employers, and 88% of members who have completed Perci Health’s vocational rehabilitation programme returned to work within six months of beginning the programme. Additionally, 84% of members report improved quality of life over time, while 86% experience reduced anxiety
• Over the last 12 months Perci Health has supported over 3,000+ members to access personalised, virtual care, whilst reducing barriers to specialist support
• More than 500,000 people have free access to Perci Health should they need it through partnerships with employers and insurers
• The platform also ensures rapid, equitable access to care. Appointments are typically available within 48 hours, eliminating geographical barriers and long wait times
• With clinics being virtual, Perci Health has potentially saved patients thousands of miles of travel which will be contributing to substantial economic savings

The UK Government also aims to reduce long-term sickness absence and provide more employment support to people experiencing health problems.

Perci Health aligns with this vision by providing rapid, high-quality care that complements NHS services while helping to alleviate the strain on public healthcare systems. Additionally, its focus on vocational rehabilitation addresses the economic and social impacts of long-term sickness absence, supporting people to return to work and regain financial and emotional stability.

Claire Taylor, Chief Nursing Officer, Macmillan Cancer Support: “Cancer survivorship presents unique challenges, and we must innovate to meet the growing needs of people living with and beyond cancer. Perci Health’s holistic, multidisciplinary approach is exactly the exciting innovation that is needed, and it aligns perfectly with Macmillan’s ambitions to help more people get the personalised care they need. This partnership represents a shared commitment to making a real difference in the lives of those affected by cancer, helping people to live well and by providing tailored solutions to meet their changing needs following a cancer experience.”

Kelly McCabe, Co-Founder and CEO of Perci Health: “Our collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support marks an exciting milestone in cancer care and innovation. It’s an opportunity to scale our current model and address the critical gaps that exist in support. By working together, we can empower more individuals to live well with cancer, while demonstrating the measurable value of personalised, multidisciplinary care.”

Morgan Fitzsimons, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer, Perci Health: "Leveraging technology is at the heart of our mission to transform cancer care. By integrating digital innovation with multidisciplinary support, Perci Health helps increase access to personalised care. This partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support highlights our shared vision for using technology to bridge gaps in care and improve outcomes nationwide.”

Vanessa Sallows, Claims & Governance Director, Group Protection, L&G Retail: “At L&G, we recognise that cancer isn’t just a medical challenge – it has profound emotional, financial, and vocational impacts. Our partnership with Perci Health is designed to ensure that individuals diagnosed with cancer receive the right support at the right time, helping them manage their health and, where possible, return to work. By integrating specialist, personalised, care, using the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approach, into our protection offerings, we’re not only improving outcomes for our members and providing holistic support but also addressing the wider impact of cancer on workplaces and society.”

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