David Knight - one of our local supporters.
Macmillan works with the NHS and other health and social care partners in your area to improve the lives of people affected by cancer today.
Thanks to the generosity of local people who support Macmillan, local people affected by cancer and their families are being helped by a range of services including Macmillan nurses, doctors and a consultant in palliative medicine, who provides support and leadership to the whole of the cancer team, helping people in hospitals and in the community throughout Durham.
Last year we helped to fund a Carer Scheme based in Peterlee Community Hospital and this year we are continuing to fund the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre in Peterlee Town Centre. We are also funding a new Palliative Care nurse in Derwentside who specialises in improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
We are also funding Macmillan Grants. When you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with cancer, finances might not be the first thing you think about, but having cancer can be expensive in ways you hadn't expected. Last year, Macmillan gave £70,637 in financial grants to help 188 people in County Durham with the costs of cancer. Increased heating bills and hospital fares can quickly mount up so Macmillan Grants help make life run a little smoother.
As well as funding new services, we need to maintain the existing Macmillan team in the area. We have a variety of Macmillan health professionals based in Bishop Auckland, Durham, Chester Le Street, Peterlee and Derwentside.
Tees Valley
Thanks to the generosity of people in the Tees Valley area, local people affected by cancer are being helped by a range of services including a team of Macmillan professionals with expert knowledge to help make living with cancer easier. They include highly experienced nurses, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist and GP adviser, who work in the hospitals and the community providing help and support for cancer patients and their families.
Macmillan services within this area has developed significantly over the past 12 months with the recent opening of Cancer Information and Support centres in James Cook University hospital, Middlesbrough and the Memorial hospital, Darlington. When you're affected by cancer, having the right kind of information, at the right time, is essential. The Support centres provide up-to-date information about living with cancer, for patients and their families and friends.