Tenovus' Mobile Cancer Support Unit arrives in Brecon
Monday 21st June 2010
Tenovus, Wales’ leading cancer charity brings its Mobile Cancer Support Unit to Brecon to deliver cancer services to patients who live in the area. The Mobile Unit will be present in Brecon starting from Tuesday 22nd June.
The Unit comes to Brecon following demand from patients, 99% of which currently have to travel 70 miles round trip from Powys to receive their cancer treatment. The Unit will provide cancer support services to patients in their community and it’s hoped that this will extend to delivering cancer treatment in the coming months.
Claudia McVie, Chief Executive for Tenovus said;
“We took the Mobile Unit to Brecon earlier this year to highlight patient’s need for cancer care in their community and to raise awareness of the inequity to accessing cancer services that exists for patients in rural areas.
We met a large number of patients and members of the community who were very supportive of the Unit arriving in Brecon. This support has grown tremendously since then and we are delighted that we are now able to meet this demand and provide cancer support here.”
Tenovus strive to work in partnership to deliver innovative research-led cancer prevention, treatment and support, to those with the greatest need in the community. The Unit will initially bring welfare rights advice and legal support to patients.
In the future Tenovus hopes to expand its services in Powys and provide cancer treatment to patients on the Unit. This would alleviate the unnecessary strain by treating patients in their locality whose average travelling distance to receive chemotherapy is 75 miles round trip. For the duration of their treatment this equates to 1,500 miles, which is the distance between Brecon and Moscow!”.
Kirsty Williams, Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire added,
“Tenovus’ Mobile Cancer Support Unit provides an excellent service, bringing care and support to people’s homes. I have met with Tenovus several times to discuss having a similar service here in Powys and am delighted that as of next week Tenovus’ Mobile Unit will be present in Brecon and supporting patients.
I hope that the services will expand in the future and we will see treatments being carried out on board. It would go a long way to ease some of the pressure on patients in Powys who currently travel up to 100 miles to receive treatment. Many patients have to travel to England to receive their treatment- if we had a Mobile Unit in Powys it could help alleviate this unnecessary strain.”
Tenovus aim to bring care and support to the heart of the community where it is needed most.
If you have been affected by cancer, we would like to hear your views on the type of services and support you would like to receive. Please contact Carol Maddock, Cancer Communication Researcher on 029 20 768 874.
