DOCTORS and nurses from the trust which runs Fairfield Hospital have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to cancer support.

A team from Pennine Acute Trust, which also runs North Manchester General Hospital in Crumpsall, has been shortlisted for a national Macmillan Professionals Excellence Award.

The specialist breast cancer team is a finalist in the service improvement excellence category, which rewards people who have developed integrated services which have greatly improved the experiences of people affected by cancer.

Clare Brearley, Macmillan breast advanced nurse practitioner/lead nurse, said: “Being shortlisted for this nomination has meant the world to us as a team.

“Patient feedback via questionnaires has been 100 per cent positive and the nomination has been a recognition of the hard work and dedication of all members of the breast team to develop a new service, putting patient care at the forefront of what we do.

“The nomination is an amazing boost to our team and I am very proud of each and every one of them.”

The team has been through a rigorous assessment process where representatives have presented to a panel of judges including Macmillan Cancer Support, charity trustees and people affected by cancer.

Four winners will be announced on the evening of November 16 at the Macmillan Professionals Awards ceremony in London and the winners will receive £150 plus an award for an individual winner, and £500 and a plaque for a winning team.

Together with a team from the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust the Pennine team implemented a Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership pilot study to support self-management for breast cancer patients with a Manchester postcode.

As part of the new model, patients will continue to have annual surveillance mammograms, but they will no longer be brought back to the trust for clinic appointments every year.

Instead suitable patients are moved to a supported self-management pathway where intervention from health professionals is tailored according to the individual patient’s need.

At Pennine all breast cancer patients are now given a treatment summary appointment approximately four months after the completion of their initial treatment which aims to address any unmet needs.

This is a 45-minute appointment with a Macmillan breast clinical nurse specialist.

At the appointment an ‘electronic holistic needs assessment’ is completed which is used to identify any areas the patient may be struggling with and a care and action plan is then developed.

The patient’s diagnosis, histology and treatment is explained to them, plus information is given about any side-effects from their treatment and signs and symptoms to look out for which may indicate a local or regional recurrence of cancer.

Patients are then invited to attend a health and wellbeing event at the breast unit at The Royal Oldham Hospital in place of follow-up appointments.