Cancer Voices hold their first Regional Meeting for 2018

Cancer Voices held their first regional meeting of the year at the Selkirk Arms Hotel ,Kirkcudbright on Wednesday 10th of January , Representatives from both Eat and West Cancer Voices attended the meeting , A productive meeting was had , with Penny Halliday  ( D&G cancer voice member welcoming everyone and explaining the reason for the change of name of the group from" User Involvement Group" ( UIG )  to " Cancer Voices" , which gave more clarity to its identity and thanked Macmillan cancer for their support in this process .
 Angela Macmillan ( D&G cancer voices member ) presented to the forum the achievements of the group in 2017  these included

•  Setting up of the two East and West Cancer Voice forums in D&G
• Development of its action plans
• Connecting to local community Cancer groups and organisations
• Engagement meetings with the Chief Exec Jeff Ace
• Members attending the TCAT National Conference
• Highlighting the need for a lymnpadema Nurse for D&G ( now instated )
• Our promotional Marketing leaflets highlighting the various Cancer support projects across D&G
• Visit by members to the Haven Centre to develop awareness and opportunity in sharing best practice
• The members supporting   the Oyster Festival ,where 1500 Calendars developed by the forum which highlighted the  BHC MacMillan / TCAT projects programme in the area were provided to the public  
• Grant fund raising to support the groups

Cancer Voices  Regional Meeting

Simon Malzer , Macmillan TCAT user involvement Manager provided a presentation on the work of the Cancer Experience Panel ( CEP)  and the work of TCAT  across the region and in Scotland ,highlighting some of the experiences and  lesion's learned for future planning

Joan Pollard , Associate Director of Allied Health Professions ,reflected on the visit to the Haven Centre with members of the forum last year , with regard to the model of care been provided by the centre which were fantastic ,  and opportunity`s to be looked at in developing the model here in D&G

Fiona Glasgow and Celia Hughes  both provided personal experiences  of family loss and the impacts this had on their children, and their experience, with lack of support available for bereaved children and young adults here in D&G 

Dawn Allen, NHS D&G Spiritual Care Lead  opened the discussion around support for young children / young adults whose parents have been diagnosed with life limiting illness or are bereaved  ,highlighting some of the support that is available and opened a discussion with the forum on looking on how services could be improved .

Penny Halliday  concluded the meeting Thanking everyone who has supported the Forum in the last year in getting it to where it is today, Challenges were still ahead ,and the forum will continue to listen to its community by being  that link for community groups and individuals  as a voice to be heard, and will continue to support our NHS and partners to improve the quality of services for those experiencing cancer