WCVA and Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales’ Community Innovation Project recently concluded with a celebration event in Cardiff.
The Community Innovation Project aimed to discover why specific communities don’t engage fully with cancer services and suggest ways to remove barriers to this engagement. The recent celebration event in Cardiff, highlighted the exceptional work carried out over the duration of the project.
THE PROJECT JOURNEY
Eleanor Jones, WCVA Governance Manager, shared the journey of the project with attendees, emphasizing the importance of learning from people’s lived experiences, both positive and negative. She noted that many individuals were unaware of the amount and range of cancer support services available in Wales and stressed the need to better highlight these existing resources.
Eleanor also spoke about how some people feel abandoned due to a lack of recognition of additional and wider cultural needs, stressing that individuals affected by cancer, and their loved ones, need support from trusted sources in comfortable settings. In response, the Macmillan Information Champions Programme was created to provide guidance to various communities across two health board areas about available services. Training is currently underway to expand this programme across the country.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Additional key achievements from the project include:
- Clearer advertising to help people find available information and support.
- Enhanced support for those experiencing homelessness and those facing language barriers.
- Greater support for prisoners; including giving prisoners access to the Macmillan helpline and supplying prison nursing teams with numbers for cancer information and support staff across Wales.
- Development of an Insight app for people with learning difficulties, allowing them to get help and support. This has been delayed, but should launch soon.
- A final project report has been supplied to Macmillan, and the Macmillan Community Innovations Champions training scheme will still be offered by WCVA.
THE NEW STRATEGY
Johanna Davies, WCVA’s Head of Health and Social Care, delivered a thank-you address to Eleanor, Macmillan and the project advisory board and participants, followed by remarks from Dawn Cooper of Macmillan. Dawn highlighted that every year, 20,000 new cancer diagnoses occur in Wales, and around 116,000 people in the country currently live with cancer. She introduced the new Macmillan Cancer Care Strategy, which aims to:
- Reach everyone, while focusing on those needing most support
- Reduce health inequities within cancer treatment and care
- Support those with cancer and other long-term conditions
- Reduce variation in cancer treatment and care
Macmillan’s vision is to do whatever it takes to get every person the best support today and seek a revolution in cancer care for the future.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you have any questions about the Macmillan Community Innovation Project, please email healthandcare@wcva.cymru. For more information about WCVA’s work in health and social care.