Pennine News 83 - June 2010 - Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

New centre provides support and listening
ear for people affected by cancer
Living with the impact of being
diagnosed with cancer can be
a devastating and confusing
time. However a new Macmillan
cancer information and support
centre, recently opened at north
Manchester general Hospital aims
to assist both the patient and their
family and friends going through
this traumatic period.
Funded by the charity Macmillan Cancer
Support, the development of the centre aims
to provide an open access service for anyone
looking for information about cancer. This
includes information about how to reduce your
risk of cancer, information for people
diagnosed with cancer and signposting to
services for people affected by cancer.
Open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm,
the centre (which is based just off the main
corridor running down to the Gallery
restaurant at the hospital) provides a light,
calm and welcoming environment where centre
users can talk in confidence to specially trained
volunteers or the Macmillan-funded staff.
Managing the centre is Felicity Keeling. She
said: “The centre is a very important
development in an area which has high levels
of cancer. A cancer diagnosis and treatment
for cancer can have a profound impact on
the person with the disease and those around
them. The staff here, as well as providing
information and advice, also offer a listening
ear for people affected, whether as patients,
family members, carers or friends.
“For the person diagnosed with cancer, it is
often difficult for them to absorb all the
information which is given to them by the
clinicians. We therefore are here as back-up
as we are detached from the clinical side of
things. The patients can talk to us as to how
it really is and how the illness and treatment is
affecting them.”
Offering her expertise and experience at
the centre is volunteer Sheila Martin, one of
13 volunteers who have been recruited and
trained specifically to work in the centre. As
well as being a former Macmillan specialist
palliative care nurse, Sheila knows what it is
like to be confronted with the news that you
have a life threatening illness.
Diagnosed with a brain tumour two years ago,
Sheila appreciates how important it is to get
up-to-date information to patients. She said:
“When I was diagnosed with my tumour in
a way I was lucky working in the profession
that I did. Although I had fantastic support
from all my former work colleagues in the
palliative care team, I still struggled in getting
timely information which was relevant to me.
I thought if I don’t know how to access the
information in my job, how on earth do other
people outside the NHS manage.
“You go into panic mode when you are given
confirmation of your illness and because the
disease is changing all the time, the information
you receive needs to be constantly updated.
“I was therefore more than happy to become a
volunteer at the centre. I am passionate about
the Macmillan service and I feel that I have
a good idea of what patients may be going
through. Crossing over the threshold of the
doorway to the centre is a major thing for
anyone affected by cancer and that is just the
first step. A request for an information leaflet
can soon turn into a good chat where they can
open up and be honest about
how they are really feeling.”
People wanting to access the
centre can either turn up (no
appointment needed) during the
opening hours or ring 0161 604
5 44 during office hours to speak
to a member of staff. The centre
is open to anyone within Pennine.
The history of Macmillan at Pennine
PENNINE Acute has a strong history of
working in partnership with Macmillan
Cancer Support (who have pump-primed
and adopted posts)in both cancer and
palliative care. Currently there are 38
Macmillan professionals within the Trust,
but there are an additional nine posts that
are being considered for 'adoption'.
These include a range of clinical nurse
specialist posts within cancer, chemotherapy,
…To provide the very best care for each patient on every occasion…
pennine
news
The new centre is pictured above, and right,
at the official opening with John Jesky, Trust
chairman. Centre manager Felicity Keeling gives
advice, top.
lymphoedema and palliative care. There
are also three lead nurse posts within the
lead cancer and palliative care team (the
Macmillan lead cancer and palliative care
team, the Macmillan associate lead cancer
and palliative care nurse and the soon to
be adopted lead chemotherapy nurse). The
Macmillan specialist AHPs in Oldham are
located at TROH, but are now managed
by NHS Oldham.
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