New and refurbished support centres open for cancer patients
Cancer patients at St George’s and Queen Mary’s hospitals will have access to more support, thanks to funding from the national charity Macmillan.
The charity has opened a new hub inside Queen Mary’s and refurbished the current one at St George’s to continue offering support to cancer patients and their families.
The new facility at Queen Mary’s offers expert cancer information and support to both patients and non-patients two days a week while the revamped facility at St George’s now offers an extended range of services including wellbeing workshops, a support group, and welfare benefits advice.
The £210,000 investment means Macmillan can help even more cancer patients during their time of need.
St George’s is a specialist cancer hospital that treats children and adults.
Last May, St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group launched its five-year strategy, which outlines its vision to continue to be a major tertiary centre for south west London and Surrey, particularly renowned for cancer services, as well as neuroscience, renal, paediatric, and major trauma care.
Caitriona Ni Mhuiris, Macmillan’s Lead Nurse for Personalised Cancer, led the refurbishment programme at St George’s and said the makeover involved patients’ input while existing furniture was upcycled and new artwork was sourced from local artists.
She said: “We’re really proud of how welcoming the centre looks now and that we’ve done so mindfully.
“We were particularly keen to upcycle and repurpose much of the existing centre furniture in order to keep costs down and to minimise environmental impact.
“This major refurb gives us so many more opportunities to provide support to people with cancer and will ensure the Macmillan Centre at St George’s continues to be fit for purpose. The new hub at Queen Mary’s expands our reach, allowing us to bring essential services closer to even more people with cancer.”
To contact either centre call: 0208 725 2677 or email cancer.information@stgeorges.nhs.uk.
Alternatively you can access Macmillan’s help seven days a week by calling the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 or visiting macmillan.org.uk
