One of our main concerns in more recent years has been cancer survivorship, and especially the rather, shall we say, patchy handling of cancer patients’ discharge back into the community after their oncology treatment is finished. In Milton Keynes, anyway, we felt there was a problem with left hands not knowing what right hands were doing here.

We put together proposals for an event and follow up activity to address this problem and were awarded a generous grant by Macmillan, to carry it out. We called this project “Sharing The Caring For Cancer In Milton Keynes.”

That began with an exhibition and lunch for GPs and other community HCPs in the summer of 2013 which turned into an excellent networking event as well as everything else. The objective was to gather together examples of these support cancer patients can have while they’re in treatment and beyond.

Exhibitors included…

• Macmillan Cancer Support
• Our local wig service delivered by one of the top hairdressing salons in MK
• Various public health departments covering awareness, nutrition, exercise, etc
• MK Dons (our local soccer team) and the work they do for fitness in the community
• Age UK MK
• Healthwatch MK
• MKUHFT Breast Unit
• Nordic Walking
• Tai Chi
• Zumba Gold
• Several cancer support groups
• Willen Hospice
• …and several more

Cancer Survivorship Directory

Continuing on with this “Sharing the Caring for Cancer in MK” initiative, we published a printed directory with about 250 different local facilities for cancer patients to consider to help their rehabilitation. At our Macmillan Unit, a copy of the directory is included in every cancer diagnosis information pack, and copies have been distributed into several GP practices, clinic waiting rooms, and other prime locations.

As of October 2015 we are reprinting the directory as stocks have run out. Thankfully, through some good housekeeping and the incredible generosity of so many suppliers, we have managed to stretch our Macmillan Grant to cover the cost of the reprint.

To extend the appropriateness of the Directory to include ongoing cancer patients as well as recovering patients, at the suggestion of one of our senior nurses we now have changed the name to:

The Milton Keynes Cancer Resources Directory

Needless to say if you see anything in the Directory which you believe is incorrect, and/or there are a name and details you feel should be added, please let us know – email suze@suzanstmaur.com.

Click here for the full content of the Directory.

Some moments from the Sharing the Caring exhibition in 2013

 

 

Sharing the Caring for Cancer in Milton Keynes