Looking back over the last year we are pleased to report some positive results:-
After a long delay Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals (SaTH) have now appointed to the role of manager for the Macmillan Cancer and Information Centre. However SaTH have decided not to site this new centre at the Princess Royal Hospital Telford but instead to review the provision of information across both sites. While somewhat disappointed that the lack of provision of both information and complimentary support services at Telford is not being filled, we are pleased that some progress is being made.
Exercise for cancer patients – we are extremely proud of the work in this area which with funding from Macmillan has resulted in the appointment of a Get Fit Advisor two days a week, one day based in the Royal Shrewsbury and one day based at the Princess Royal, working directly with cancer patients to enable them to improve their fitness level in a safe and enjoyable way. If you have had cancer and would like to join this programme contact Greg Hayward on email getactivegreg@gmail.com
The results of the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey have been published and SaTH have advised us they are working on plans to improve SATH’s results, with an aim to be in the top 20% for each question in the next two years. The forum has not had sight of the plans.
Cancer Survivorship –We are pleased to report that we have arranged our first talk on diet and nutrition for anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis; this was arranged for 22nd January 2013 at The Hamar Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. This talk is free to attend and is being given by an NHS oncology dietician.
We are sad to report that SaTH have advised that they will not be sending a representative from an MDT team to any of our meetings as originally agreed, so unfortunately we have failed to meet our aim of Engage with each of the MDT teams.
SaTH have made a start with Information Prescriptions using three tumour groups, head and neck, skin and upper GI although it appears no local information for the area is on the website as yet. www.nhs.uk/ips
As part of our objective of improving on our Membership/Publicity, the Forum has displayed its board at the Education Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and have had articles printed in the Shropshire Star in an attempt to raise the awareness of the Forum. Our website www.cancerforum.org.uk has had 708 visitors, visiting a total of 934 times, 75% of whom have found us through searching. The support pages are very popular with 418 visits.
We are extremely saddened and disappointed that SaTH did not engage in the spirit of the National Peer Review and declined our offers to provide trained patient representatives to review the evidence and meet with the teams. As internal validation will happen more frequently with less external visits from the peer review team (due to national cut backs) we see it as more important than ever before that a suitably trained patient representative is treated as an equal and valued member of the reviewing team and is able to ask questions to the team being reviewed. We have raised our concerns at a National level.
It may also be of interest that during the year we were pleased to provide supporting letters to encourage funding for a new Macmillan Cancer Information Point at a local GP Practice as well as for a bid for a new Therapy Team which Macmillan wished to add to SaTH. Both bids were successful.
Discharge Information – The work on creating a discharge from active treatment information booklet for Prostate patients was put on hold with the implementation of Information Prescriptions.
