David Nunns: We have a growth rate of around 3% a year of new cancer diagnosis. We’re seeing more
patients who live with cancer and we’re also seeing more patients who’ve had a diagnosis
of cancer who live with the consequences of cancer.
Elaine Wilson: Within the Macmillan Partnership there is such a wide range of different projects and
programmes, ranging from large whole scale redesign programmes across all sorts of different
types of cancers to physical activity programmes and one-to-one emotional and psychological
support, buddying and befriending services.
But the central theme through all of this is around supporting people who are living
with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. And really importantly supporting people when they come
to the end of their cancer treatment.
Emma Trent: We find that participants greatly appreciate the support they get during their treatment
but can often feel a little bit lost afterwards.
Kelly Burfoot: When I finished treatment I didn’t really have much support, they just think that now
you’re fixed physically, you’re on you’re way and you’re going back to normal. I didn’t
want to go out with my friends and I felt poorly all the time and I did become depressed
and isolated, but then that’s when I found Macmillan and this project, it helps me loads.
Elaine Wilson: Patients and carers have told us that services aren’t necessarily joined up and integrated,
they could be much better, and also they don’t necessarily know how to access the right care,
the right services at the right time and where to go for information and support.
It’s very important that health care, social care, voluntary organisations and Macmillan
work in partnership. Really to address all the various aspects of the patient experience
and needs.
Emma Trent: The Macmillan Care Programme is a partnership between Macmillan, Football in the Community
and Loughborough University and together we help support people that are recovering from
cancer.
Graham Crisp: It was only as a result of the treatment that I started to suffer from the side effects,
lazy as my wife calls it! So I needed something to get some exercise, put some of the get-up-and-go
back in… that had got-up-and-gone!
(laughter)
Emma Trent:There’s lots of research, lots of evidence that shows that physical activity is a huge
benefit to people recovering from cancer.
Graham Crisp: One of the things coming along to this course that’s specifically geared up for prostrate
cancer sufferers and we come here primarily to get some exercise, but we always spend
the odd five minutes just having a chat, one-to-one or a group of us, just chatting and comparing
notes about how we’ve responded to treatment. And that’s been very useful.
David Nunns: So I think the partnership brings us all together, I can clearly see over the last year great
improvement in the way that we communicate with each other and that has to go towards
benefiting patients.
Kelly Burfoot: The Macmillan One2One Support Project really helped to gain my confidence back, it just
had someone there who wanted to be there with me, who didn’t judge, understood my problems
but still wanted to help me get out everyday.
Elaine Wilson: People are really enthusiastic about the partnership and patients and carers are much more
aware of what’s available.
David Nunns: The vision for the Macmillan Cancer Partnership is that patients have the best treatment that
they can get in the hospital under the specialist cancer teams, but there’s a real focus on
the quality of life that patients have after their treatment.
Elaine Wilson: As a result of the work of the Macmillan Cancer Partnership across Nottinghamshire people
affected by cancer should see a much greater range in services that are available to them.
Kelly Burfoot: The future is a happy place again, it’s just something that I can look forward to.
I can go and do what I want, I’m not stuck in this cancer cycle anymore, I can go out,
have fun again, think about the future and look forward to it again.