A pilot project that helps people with cancer return to work, run by the Shaw Trust and funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, has received more than twice as many referrals as initially targeted and should be extended nationally, the charities say.

The pilot is based at the Christie Cancer Centre in Manchester (pictured) and has so far helped 237 patients, against a target of 100. One-third of these have been helped back to work.

The success of the pilot saw it win an award for innovation at the Vocational Rehabilitation Awards recently, and the pilot has been extended to April 2012.

The charities say that if the programme was rolled out nationally, up to 36,000 cancer patients could be assisted to sustain employment and this would save the Exchequer millions of pounds.  The Policy Exchange think tank estimates that people dropping out of employment because of cancer costs up to £5.3bn.

The vocational rehabilitation pilot at the Christie was set up by the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative, which is led by the Department of Health, Macmillan and NHS Improvement.