Bristol Myers Squibb

The challenge

A stark finding identified that 23% of people with Head and Neck cancer, didn’t go back to full time work post treatment due to the long term impact of their treatment.

Whilst back-to-work support is available for cancer patients, there are no materials that provide specific advice for overcoming the nuanced challenges associated with Head and Neck cancer.

What we did

We worked collaboratively with Bristol Myers Squibb, x3 Head and Neck PAGs, x6 individual patients and x1 non-profit to co-create this new resource.

It helps empower people to assess their situation, understand if they’re ready for work, and provides practical and manageable steps to help them back into employment.

The solution/results

• 2000+ printed copies have been requested by HCPs to share with their patients, and there have been over 2000 digital downloads
• It was a finalist at the 2021 Communiqué and PMEA awards
• But most importantly, we heard from people for whom the guide changed their lives. One person was going to be let go from their job due to fatigue, but upon presenting the legal definitions in the Back-to-Work Guide, the employer retired them for three years on full pay. Another person was asked to leave their job due to facial disfigurement. After sharing some of the content of the guide with their HR team, they received £60,000 in compensation and an apology.