Good cancer care and support is personalised, compassionate and not one size fits all, according to Lydia Briggs, The Macmillan Living With and Beyond Cancer Programme Project Manager for Doncaster.
Lydia joined the team about six months ago and her background as an oncology nurse, combined with her PHD studies on living with and beyond cancer, are proving to be invaluable in the Project Manager role.
Based at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Lydia’s responsibilities include implementing the recovery package for local people living with and beyond cancer.
This includes helping oncology teams to introduce electronic Holistic Needs Assessments to have meaningful conversations with people affected by cancer about their needs and what is important to them.
Lydia said: “So far, I’ve been focusing a lot on building relationships, planning and influencing and I’m really enjoying it.
“I’m a great believer in the recovery package. A cancer journey isn’t only about the treatment you receive.
"Implementing appropriate support means someone affected by cancer is much more likely to have a good quality of life and can live life as well as they can.
“The teams have been really proactive in finding solutions and ways to work the eHNAs into their service.”
Lydia is also currently developing a patient journal for people affected by cancer, which she says she hopes will encourage people to take ownership and self management of their care as much as they can.
The journal includes dividers for different stages of a person’s journey and pages where they can take notes and write down questions they want to ask their medical professionals.
There are also pockets to store useful information or leaflets such as those on possible side effects of treatment or details of local support services.
She added: “This role links together all the experience I’ve got; helping people from a research, nursing and project management perspective.
“Because of my nursing background, I’m still very much focused on patients and making a difference to them. That’s something I feel really passionate about.
“I believe good cancer care and support is personalised. Everyone is different and so are their needs.
“It’s good communication, being compassionate and treating people as individuals – it’s not one size fits all.”