South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have launched a new service providing Early Palliative Intervention Care thanks to funding from Macmillan Cancer Support.
The new service, which is one of the first of its type in the UK, will form part of the wider palliative care team and has included the development of two new specialist roles at the Friarage Hospital.
To start with, the service will focus on treating those with upper gastrointestinal, colorectal, and skin cancer but is expected to expand its scope into other areas as the service progresses.
Natalie Whitwam, a Macmillan early palliative intervention nurse and Kimberley Almond, a Macmillan cancer care co-ordinator will form the early palliative care team at South Tees, where patients will be referred to if diagnosed with an incurable cancer.
Natalie Whitwam said: “We anticipate over the next two years the service will expand beyond the three initial tumour groups. Guided by where the referrals come from, we will focus on areas needed most such as different tumour groups.
"We will also look at how to engage those who are historically seen as hard to reach groups such as people with learning disabilities, adolescents moving into adulthood or people with mental health problems.
“In addition, the three initial tumour groups do not have to be the primary diagnosis, they could be secondary. In the same way as the Sir Robert Ogden Centre was devised in collaboration with a broad spectrum of community representatives. A group comprised of people including district nurses, people affected by cancer both directly and via close family, financial welfare experts and residents hopefully ensured that what we have is a service that people really need.”
South Tees say the community service aims to “bridge the gap” between initial diagnosis and end-of-life care for patients with terminal cancer, whilst also urging that those accessing the service will be listened to and that everyone’s individual circumstances will be considered.
Kieran Conaty, partnership manager for Durham, Darlington and Teesside at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “We’re excited about this pioneering new service at the Friarage to help people affected by incurable cancer.
“Donations are more important than ever as we continue to work with our NHS partners to develop services that deliver personalised care for patients and their families. Personalised care means people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered, it is based on what matters to them.
“South Tees NHS Foundation Trust is also participating in our workforce development programme, providing a clear pathway for existing nurses to develop into cancer care specialists, nurturing and retaining the talent within the NHS.”
