Cancer Buddy is Doncaster Council ‘Employee of the year’

Ally Henshaw, breast cancer survivor and the creator of ‘Cancer Buddies’ was last night awarded Doncaster Council ‘Employee of the year’.  Ally was awarded this prestigious honour for her work on the Doncaster Cancer Buddies scheme, a befriending service which offers emotional and practical support for local people affected by cancer. 

People affected by cancer and carers are matched with a ‘buddy’ who has been through a similar cancer experience.  Ally set up the project after her own cancer experience and said:

“ Friends and family are great but they’re scared about what’s happening to you.  From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer I knew I needed to talk to someone who had been through the same experience – that’s how we came up with the idea for Cancer Buddies.

“To be acknowledged by my employers like this is a such an honour, I’m so proud that my idea has been brought to life and that I am able to make a real difference to local people affected by cancer” 

Ally was able to realise her idea with the support of the ‘Doncaster Cancer Survivorship’ project of which Ally plays an integral role on the steering group.  Since April this year Cancer Buddies has received 75 referrals, has 41 active clients and 32 trained buddies ready to give support.  

Ally set up Cancer Buddies with funding from Macmillan Cancer Support and a commitment from her employers Doncaster Council which enables her to run the service.   

Macmillan Cancer Support have invested £800,000 to improve cancer survivorship services in Doncaster over the last two years.

If you would like to find out more about how to become a cancer buddy or other voluntary opportunities with the Doncaster Cancer Survivorship project visit the Living Well volunteer open day on 3 November at St John’s Information & Support Centre, Tickhill Road, Balby, DN4 8JS (1-3pm).  Email stjohnsinfo@rdash.nhs for more information.

£9m cancer centre officially opened

Christine Talbot from ITV Calendar cuts the ribbon

A £9million centre for cancer and haematology patients at Harrogate District Hospital has been officially opened.

The Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre is a new outpatient oncology and information centre, providing a state-of-the-art facility for people affected by cancer in North Yorkshire.

The build has been made possible thanks to a £3.5million donation by Sir Robert Ogden. This figure was matched by Macmillan Cancer Support, while Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust provided £2million. The centre was built to replace an outpatient haematology and chemotherapy unit at the hospital, which wasn’t large enough to meet a growing need. The centre also means many patients in Harrogate no longer have to travel to Leeds or York for treatment.

Lady Halifax, President of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “This beautiful and innovative new centre makes an enormous difference to local people affected by cancer and their families. Not only do they benefit from not having to travel longer distances to Leeds or York, but they’re also receiving the very latest in cancer treatment, in an incredibly calm and relaxing, state-of-the-art centre. It’s an inspirational place to be. The official opening is an exciting and significant day for Macmillan, and the culmination of a successful partnership with Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and Sir Robert Ogden.”

Lady Halifax meets some of the team based at the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre

Lady Halifax was on hand to unveil a plaque at the centre, while Christine Talbot from ITV Calendar shared her own experiences of cancer before cutting the ribbon.

The new centre includes a treatment area, which has 14 chairs for patients to receive chemotherapy, and separate surgical areas for procedures such as blood tests. There is also space for six clinic rooms, two rooms for counselling and a staff room. By the main entrance is the supportive care, health and wellbeing area, where services include patient information and support, complementary therapies and welfare benefits advice.

Sir Robert Ogden said: “I am delighted that the people of North Yorkshire now have a new cancer treatment and resource centre. I am proud to have been closely involved in the project and I am certain that the Harrogate Centre will prove to be as successful as the earlier centre I funded with Macmillan at St James’s Hospital Leeds”.

Sir Robert Ogden speaks to staff at the centre

Construction of the centre began in autumn 2012 and was completed by the end of 2013. Staff and services moved across in March 2014. The design of the centre was heavily influenced by patient representatives and delivers Macmillan’s quality environment standards – a benchmark for cancer patient experience.

Sandra Dodson, Chairman of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to officially be opening this fabulous facility, which is already giving significant benefits to the quality of care that we can provide to cancer patients and their families. Within the Centre, in addition to high quality clinical care, we are now able to offer additional support services, including the Welfare and Benefits Service, which has already helped patients to claim £1million in benefits since launching less than a year ago. An expanded range of complementary therapies and facilities, a hairdressing service for patients whose hair is re-growing after cancer treatment and a wide range of support group and advice meetings are among the other services that are now helping us to offer a more rounded package of care to cancer patients.”

The centre has been praised for its calm and relaxing atmosphere

Dr Ros Tolcher, Chief Executive, added: “Our highly trained and dedicated staff are already receiving some fantastic feedback from patients who are telling us how much better the Centre is than the previous facility, allowing them to feel more relaxed which can only help with their treatment. We take great care to listen to the views of our service users and we are proud we have come third nationally, and first in Yorkshire, in a league table measuring patient experience across England, based on research commissioned by NHS England. We were only able to build the Centre thanks to the tremendous generosity of Sir Robert Ogden and Macmillan Cancer Support, to whom we are extremely grateful.”

Cancer patients in the North have some of the best patient experience in England

Cancer patients’ experience of care in the North is among the best in England. Trusts in the region topped a league table measuring patient experience across England, according to results released today by Macmillan Cancer Support, based on research commissioned by NHS England.

The league table compares the performance of hospitals across England based on measures of patients’ experiences while being treated in hospital such as: whether their diagnosis and treatment options were explained clearly to them; whether they felt supported in their care; and whether they felt they were treated with respect. Macmillan believes patient experience is as vital as treatment to a cancer patient’s quality of life.

Fay Scullion, General Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in the East Midlands and Northern England said: “We know that the support and care people receive is as important as their actual treatment, and can make all the difference between coping with cancer and finding it a real struggle. For example, being told about financial help that is available, or being provided with high quality information about their cancer and its treatment.”

Patient experience matters – hospitals should offer high standards of support as well as medical treatment. Good patient care can help patients deal better with not only managing their own condition once out of hospital, but also the emotional impact of cancer, and building confidence to return to work.

In support of patients across the UK, Macmillan today launches a new patient rights leaflet. Your Cancer Care provides information about patients’ rights by outlining the eight key behaviours in the Macmillan Values Based Standard. For example, patient should expect to be:

•      involved in decisions, be informed of the treatment options and why recommendations have been made
•      communicated with in a sensitive way and be offered support. They should also share any concerns about what they are told

In addition to letting patients know the standards they can expect, it introduces practical steps to support patients to engage in their care and what to do if things wrong.

As well as supporting patients directly, Macmillan Cancer Support believes that in order to ensure all cancer patients are treated with the highest levels of dignity and respect, and staff are fully supported to deliver this, the Government should:

• Actively shine a light on poor care and demand hospitals take action to improve by:

o   Publishing a clear comparison of cancer patient experience in hospital trusts across the country.

o   Requiring trusts to publish action plans addressing weaknesses in cancer patient experience and staff engagement, and reporting annually on their progress.

• Make sure all frontline staff have time to access training to deliver care with dignity and respect. This could include courses on advanced communication skills to have sensitive conversations with cancer patients, their families and carers.

If you would like support on what you can expect going through your treatment, or for support coping with cancer, call 0808 808 00 00 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk

-Ends-

10 best performing Trusts

1. South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust

2. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

3. Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust

4. St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

5. East Cheshire NHS Trust

6. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

7. South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

8. Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

9. Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

10. Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Macmillan has also produced a league table highlighting the most improved Trusts:

10 most improved Trusts

1. The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

2. York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

3. University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust

4. Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

5. Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

6. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

7. North Bristol NHS Trust

8. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

9. South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

10. St George's Healthcare NHS Trust