This April we marked the 10th anniversary of the Macmillan Information Centre at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, which supports patients across Lancashire and South Cumbria with a range of issues including financial advice and emotional support.
On the occasion, colleagues and patients joined together at the hub in the Rosemere Centre at Royal Preston Hospital to enjoy cupcakes and goody bags.
The service was funded by MacMillan and the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, who both contributed £100,000 to the project. Service users have also benefitted from £106,000 in grants from the service, given to people in the face of unprecedented hardship caused by not only a cancer diagnosis, but the worst cost of living crisis in recent memory.
Since the service began it has now grown to three hubs, one in the Rosemere Cancer Centre at Royal Preston Hospital, one in the entrance at Royal Preston Hospital, and one at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital. Over the decade, there have been six paid members of staff and a number of volunteers working at the service, who give up their spare time to support cancer patients and carers with a range of issues.
Since opening, 20,283 people have been supported by the centre. Martin Bond, Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service Manager, said: “In the 10 years we’ve been here, the best thing has been growing the service - in that time, we’ve seen just over 20,000 people, 2,000 a year, who have needed our help, and the numbers are growing.
“We’re also working in the community in some GP practices, and it’s been good to grow as a team.
“It’s nice to be able to help people in awful circumstances in any way you can. Sometimes they like to come down and have a chat, and because we’re not medical, people can appreciate that sometimes; they’ve usually seen their GP, doctor, nurse, surgeon, radiographer, by the time they see us."
For more information on the service and what it offers, click here.
