A new £625,000 west Norfolk cancer wellbeing and support centre has opened to help patients and their families following a cancer diagnosis.
The centre has opened at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn to provide patients personalised and holistic care with a focus on "supporting the long-term impact of cancer."
The services at the centre, which has been funded by QEH’s Charitable Fund, will be provided by the Macmillan Information and Support Service, and will include general health and wellbeing advice, access to financial support, patient support groups, courses and events.
Many of the programmes previously took place in spaces away from the trust, but the new dedicated centre will now enable patients to receive this support locally and onsite at the hospital.
Chief executive Caroline Shaw said she was pleased that the trust has been able to "expand and strengthen" access to its cancer services.
Vicky Mitchell, Macmillan information and support manager at QEH, said: “I am so proud of all my colleagues at QEH who have done their utmost to make this new centre happen, even with the added pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The health crisis has only served to underline why a cancer support service of this size and scope is needed so urgently, as people living with cancer have struggled to manage their health and wellbeing alone, and come up against more financial and practical challenges as the pandemic has continued."
The new centre will also enable the trust to expand its current services to include counselling and alternative therapies such as reflexology.
And from Monday, May 17 patients will be able to visit for a chat and to speak with others about their cancer experience.
Peter Tasker, Chairman of the QEH cancer services user group, said: “The facilities provided at this new entre will offer opportunities to address a wide range of ongoing issues be they psychological, emotional, practical and those helping general rehabilitation.
"The centre will enhance quality of life and health in a friendly and relaxed setting. As a group, we are delighted this project has come to fruition – it will mean so much to so many people.”
Meanwhile, the hospital's roof continues to be in dire need of repair, with a campaign under way to lobby the government to fund a new hospital for the town.
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