A hospital’s fitness programme for cancer patients has been given extra funding so it can continue helping them for another year.
The pilot scheme for patients living with and beyond cancer at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), in partnership with Alive West Norfolk, has been improving health and wellness as well as confidence in its participants.
The eight-week programme has been running since April 2022 at the hospital’s Cancer Wellbeing and Support Centre, and is designed to help patients keep active and maintain their quality of life.
It is delivered by trained cancer rehabilitation exercise professionals from Alive West Norfolk.
One of these professionals is Jose Faria, who said: “This is such an amazing programme and the patients involved really do benefit, both physically and mentally.
“It’s great working with them and seeing first-hand what a difference exercise can have on clinical outcomes.”
The weekly session lasts for 40 minutes with one-to-one exercise activities that are low impact and individually tailored to the patient’s needs.
The programme also offers advice and coaching to the patients with the aim of improving health and wellness, energy levels and restoring confidence for patients undergoing cancer treatment and beyond.
Sue Engledow, one of the participants, said: “This programme has made such a positive difference to my mental health.
“I’m not a gym goer, but I love hiking, and this has really empowered me to take control of what I love.
“I recently completed the Macmillan Mighty Hike and it’s all thanks to this programme – without it, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
Some activities in the scheme focus on giving patients their confidence back after treatment and aiding their transitions back into routines, activities and work.
Claire Anderson, another participant, said: “This has given me so much confidence, not just in terms of exercise but in every aspect of life.
“At the end of my treatment I looked and felt so different, and for me this programme has really helped me take back control of my life and gave me the confidence to go back to work.”
The programme has so far been completed by 30 participants since April 2022 which is one of the reasons that it has received funding for the next year.
Vicky Mitchell, Macmillan information and support manager at QEH’s Cancer Wellbeing and Support Centre, said: “I am absolutely delighted this programme has been renewed for another year, we are so excited and will be making some changes to how we deliver this.
“Going forward, the first six weeks will be completed here onsite at QEH in a one-to-one setting, with the last two weeks being completed at Alive Lynnsport gym in a group setting to really help our patients boost their confidence further, try different exercise within the gym environment while surrounded by familiar faces.”
Reporting by Alice Hobbs
