Dame Laura Lee CBE is pictured, right (Image: Getty/Supplied)
I first met Maggie Keswick Jencks back in the early 1990s when she was diagnosed with incurable breast . It was her experience of being left in a windowless hospital corridor after being told this terrible news that compelled her vision for a different kind of cancer care, where people facing cancer could find a warm and welcoming space offering them and their families whatever support they needed. Maggie herself sadly died before she could see her vision become reality, but her legacy lives on at the 24 Maggie’s centres which today support hundreds of thousands of people with cancer across Great Britain.
When someone with cancer walks in our door there’s no waiting list, no agenda, no time limit, no expectation. A member of staff or a volunteer might just ask how you are, or what’s going on and how we can help. We are the original one-stop shop for cancer care. Our psychological support is recognised as excellent by the . For example, for the last two years Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge has directly commissioned all their oncology psychological support from Maggie’s, saving the NHS money while ensuring patients are seen without having to wait months on waiting lists. It cannot be underestimated how vital this mental health care can be for everyone affected by cancer.
We tailor our mental health care to the individual, with psychological support often looking different to different people. Some people, for example, will benefit from our intensive course of one-to-one sessions with a qualified psychologist. Others, however, may simply need someone to talk to and to listen to their worries.
Bolstering psychological support is a crucial element of how we will improve cancer care in this country. Currently, NHS staff are encouraged to carry out holistic needs assessments for patients with cancer to help people share their concerns and highlight what issues are most important to them, such as costs or childcare. The assessments should be used to create a personalised support plan to guide patients through their cancer treatment and beyond.
While this is great in theory, the reality is that these assessments aren’t always carried out and patients themselves don’t always know they are happening, which means they may not be aware of the support available to them. That is why we are supporting the Daily Express’s Cancer Care campaign urging medical teams to ensure their cancer patients have access to mental health support throughout their cancer experience.
Later this year the Government will publish its’ 10-year plan to reform NHS care. This will be a huge opportunity to drive improvements in how we deliver cancer care, including ensuring that future cancer care meets the psychological needs of patients as well as their physical needs.
With one in two of us expected to be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives and the latest data suggesting the number of people living with cancer in the UK will hit 3.4 million this year, this feels more important than ever. People with cancer can and should continue to be valued members of our society.
And to all those affected by cancer, Maggie’s is here for you. Find your nearest centre online and just come in.
You can support the Daily Express Cancer Care campaign by signing this