I want to die having made life easier for others with cancer

Journalist on his mission to get sufferers mental health supports

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CANCER campaigner Robert Fisk is being brutally honest when he admits: “I'll probably be dead before any UK government recognises the need to put mental health support at the heart of all medical treatment.”

The English journalist is fighting incurable bowel cancer and was told just over two years ago he might have as little as five years left.

“I've written a will,” Robert, 45, says. “I've visited a natural burial ground to find a nice place under the trees to rot away in an environmentally-friendly box. I've even worked out what songs I want at my funeral and how much it would cost to hire an ice cream van for after the service.”

But while Robert's preparations for death are all in place, he still has one more box he wants to tick so he can rest in peace. The ultimate bucket list — albeit not one he will necessarily benefit from.

Earlier this year, he launched the Cancer Care campaign in the UK to ensure all patients get quick access to mental health support during and after treatment. He aims to reach 10,000 signatures by September to prompt a response from the government - and possibly some action.

Robert, who has had more than 40 rounds of gruelling chemotherapy, explains: “I know cancer is the toughest ordeal many will face. But it's as much a mental battle as it is physical. We believe the NHS should ensure mental health support.