Almost one in five people diagnosed with cancer who return to work face discrimination, says charity Macmillan.

A survey of 1,000 people revealed many suffered problems when they returned to work or were made to feel guilty about having time off for medical appointments.

Some 15% say they went back to work before they felt ready, while 14% said they gave up work altogether or were made redundant as a result of their diagnosis.

The survey also found that 85% of people diagnosed with cancer who had a job felt carrying on working was important to them.

Some 60% said this helped them keep a sense of normality, while 45% said they enjoyed their job and 45% said they needed the money.

Macmillan is now calling on employers to make sure that they have appropriate policies in place to support staff affected by cancer.

It also said they should check they are fulfilling their legal obligations to make reasonable adjustments which could enable people with cancer to stay in or return to work.