Cancer project marks major milestone

A partnership to radically transform cancer care in the area is celebrating its first anniversary by exceeding expectations and securing further funding.

The Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership (MCIP) in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen is a pioneering three-year programme to provide better care and support for cancer patients from the moment of diagnosis to beyond treatment.

The £1m project, which was set up to address high cancer incidence and mortality rate in the area, has created new services and invested in enhancing existing services to help create excellence and equality of care across the region.

The partnership is aiming to embed best practice within all aspects of cancer care across primary, acute and community settings. It comprises Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lancashire County Council.

Among the successes achieved during the last year, include 89 GP practices and 400 GPs in the area signing up to improve cancer awareness and early diagnosis. They have helped deliver more than 800 new cancer care reviews, and standardise and improve the GP two week wait referral process, making the system of early diagnosis more efficient and effective. These achievements have resulted in the CCGs committing more than £300,000 further funding to extend the project.

Dr Neil Smith, Macmillan GP for NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG and East Lancashire CCG, said:

Because of the success of the first year of the scheme, cancer has been placed higher on the agenda and the local CCGs have committed to continue investing in the initiative. MCIP has created a genuine change in the cancer outlook and helped prioritise cancer as a major health issue. Cancer is now being seen as a long-term condition and we are empowering more people affected by cancer to return to as normal a life as possible.

Other milestones achieved include a new team of Macmillan professionals who have been appointed to run new services, including a community Macmillan Information and Support Service delivered in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. The service provides cancer information, practical and emotional support across 19 sites including Boots The Chemist in Blackburn and Burnley, Barbara Castle Way Health Centre, Blackburn and Acorn Primary Health Care Centre, Accrington so that those affected by cancer can access high quality information and support closer to home.

A new physical activity project has been set up to help breast cancer patients in the area stay active. The ‘Move More’ scheme was devised following research into the positive impact of gentle exercise on people undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment which, following a successful trial, has been extended with a view to roll it out to other cancer types. Meanwhile, a Macmillan Solutions Volunteer Service is now providing much needed practical, emotional and financial support to people affected by cancer and their families, helping them to get on with their lives and regain some control.

Jeremy Such, Macmillan Development Manager for Lancashire, said:

This project to transform cancer care in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen has been a great success so far and exceeded our expectations. There is still a lot to do, but the partnership is working hard to provide better care and support for people affected by cancer, from the diagnosis, through treatment and beyond, and together we are delivering improved outcomes for patients and a much better patient experience for people affected by cancer in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.

Work has also begun at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to embed the Macmillan Recovery Package into care for cancer patients.  Once completed, this will mean that patients diagnosed and treated at the Trust can be assured that their holistic needs are assessed and taken into account when care plans are developed. Patients will also receive information prescriptions which are tailored to the needs of the patient at any given time on their cancer journey. In addition, treatment summaries will be provided to patients and their GP’s to ensure smooth care transition from secondary to primary care.

As part of the Living with and Beyond Cancer initiative, new approaches to a number of cancer follow-up pathways will be explored and where appropriate these will be redesigned.  This will enable tailored follow-up, stratifying patients according to their risk can ensure that needs are better met.   Helping patients to self-manage their condition is an important part in improving follow-up and survivorship.

The project is supported by people like Kath Pawluk, 57, who is currently being treated for ovarian cancer, and her son Jason, 30, who both sit on the East Lancashire Cancer Experience Panel (ELCEP), which gives local people affected by cancer a say on the way care and support is delivered in the area – both now and in the future.

Kath, who uses her first-hand experience to provide vital input into the group, said:

I always say ‘I’ve got cancer, cancer hasn’t got me’. I didn’t just want to sit there and be a diagnosis and a case note. That’s why it’s important for me to get involved in this group and have a voice. I personally feel like we’re being listened to. I feel like we are having an influence and maybe these changes will help other people later down the line.

Jason said:

I think it’s a brilliant way of working. You have a wide range of people on the panel with different experiences and different cancer journeys and that makes for a much more well-rounded patient voice.

Another volunteer, Geraldine Greenwood, 45, from Lower Darwen near Blackburn, set up her own support group after her father passed away in 2013 from myeloma, cancer in the bone marrow, when she and her family struggled to find any professional support available to help them deal with their loss.

Geraldine, who is now Chair of ELCEP, said:

It’s all moved very quickly but we’ve made so much progress in such a short space of time. Cancer is a sensitive and personal issue and this group empowers you to put your experiences forward and offer something to the wider community. This group links into the project’s main steering group, so we really feel like we’ve been given a voice. Some of the feedback we’ve had has been really positive and has made us feel our contribution is worthwhile.

Councillor Brian Taylor, Assistant Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care for Blackburn with Darwen Council, added:

I’m delighted with the success of the partnership so far and it’s wonderful to see local people like Kath, Jason and Geraldine talk so positively about how the project has helped them and others. I’m also really pleased that a number of Council staff employed as part of the Macmillan project are playing such a vital role in its success. The project is all about transforming cancer care locally and their work is playing a vital part in achieving that.

If you’re affected by cancer and need information or support, call 0808 808 00 00 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk