Help for Cancer Patients
PEOPLE with cancer can get help to get the welfare benefits to which they are entitled thanks to Wandsworth Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Macmillan Cancer Support.
A recently opened service will run at three different venues, including the Health Information Centre at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, to help cancer patients and their families find out what costs they can get help with and work through the necessary paperwork to claim it. This might include benefits, disabled parking, tax credits, school uniform grants, and assistance with prescriptions and travel to hospital.
Lead Cancer Nurse at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Catherine Oakley, said: “Cancer patients and their families can have money worries but not the time or energy to access the financial support which is available to them. This service will enable families to avoid debt and additional anxiety at an already stressful time.”
Olufemi Oluleye, Chief Executive of Wandsworth CABx, said, “The Macmillan Cancer project has helped improve access to our advice service by going out to places used by cancer patients and their families. This has enabled our service to help more people and to ensure that those in greatest need receive the most appropriate service.”
Peter Jay, a long-term cancer patient at St George’s, recently used this new service, when he was in need of help and advice. He says “I was introduced to Rodrigo, the CAB Adviser by the Health Information Centre manager. He sat down with me for two hours explaining how the forms were best completed and supported me through the process, and as a result of his skills and patience, my application has been successful.”
The free and confidential service will run by appointments on Tuesday at the Cancer Resource Centre, 20-22 York Road, Battersea, on Wednesday & Thursday at the Health Information Centre at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, and Monday to Friday at Wandsworth CAB at 5th Floor Bedford House, 215 Balham High Road, SW17 7BQ.
Catherine added: “I’m really pleased that our own Health Information Centre is hosting one of these sessions and hope that means that many people will take advantage of this service.”
The Health Information Centre is located in the ground floor of Grosvenor Wing. It provides a wide range of information resources on diseases, medical procedures and health promotion.
Notes to editors
- For more information, please contact Communications Manager Esther Ferguson on 020 8725 4521 or at esther.ferguson@stgeorges.nhs.uk
