A review of the last year
1st April 2010 - 31st March 2011
Sometimes it can be exhausting to recall all that has happened and been achieved in a twelve month period at the LJMC and the last year is no exception.
A few key themes recurred over the year with the activities of the Information team being very much at the forefront of our achievements.
Being appointed a Beacon site for the implementation of the new Information Prescription Service (IPS) was a distinct high point, acknowledging the high standards of the team and national confidence in their abilities to pioneer this exciting new service.
A key feature of this project has been to establish a satellite information service in the main building of the Cancer Centre, taking the LJMC to the heart of where the patients are.
Planning the new service, recruiting and training new staff and familiarising everyone with the IPS itself have all taken a little longer than we planned. However, the end result has been a high level of service that meets a great need.
Part of being a Beacon site has included sharing our experiences with others and we hope we have enthused and motivated others to take their own first steps in using the IPS to provide cancer patients with information.
In tandem with the Beacon project, the other strand of the Information team's work has been an application for certification to the Information Standard. Supported by the Department of Health, this is an independent scheme that helps the public identify reliable and trustworthy sources of health and social care information.
The wintry weather did everything it could to throw a spanner in the works of the project but, undaunted, the team pressed on and received confirmation of their successful achievement in January.
During the year the Complementary Therapy team underwent its first peer review, a daunting task and one from which they emerged with flying colours, commended by the regional leads.
The review was conducted across the Mount Vernon Cancer Network, affirming the team as part of a wider service.
A new addition to the LJMC's portfolio of services is Art Psychotherapy. We were honoured to receive funding for this post from the Corinne Burton Memorial Trust (CBMT), initially for one year.
It has been extremely satisfactory to see this service grow as quickly as it has and we were delighted to hear from the trustees of the CBMT that they wished to extend their support for a further year.
The latest buzzword in cancer care is 'survivorship' with greater emphasis being given to living well during and after treatment for cancer. Many new projects and initiatives have found their way on to the LJMC drawing board and the next year will be an exciting one for us all as some of the projects are launched.
We were delighted to be asked to host the pilot group of Hope, an education group for Asian patients run by Macmillan Cancer Support.
A new service for patients experiencing late effects of treatment will launch in the autumn and LJMC staff are involved in supporting the development of new support groups.
The financial climate has certainly taken its toll with everyone urged to tighten their belts to reduce expenditure. The Appeals team has had the added pressure of increased revenue targets.
The annual Moor Park 10k has become a major part of the fundraising year and, despite experiencing rain at the event for the first time in 2010, raised a record-breaking amount.
It has been good to develop a stronger relationship with the fundraising department at East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust during this key time with new ideas and patterns of thinking.
With similar financial challenges for the coming year, we are more grateful than ever to our supporters who make donations, hold events or contribute goods and services to help us maintain our services.
We received a substantial grant from the Milly Apthorp Charitable Trust which has been ring-fenced for some of the survivorship initiatives and we are very grateful to the trustees for their generosity.
The LJMC was also the beneficiary of a very significant legacy which we have set aside for a capital project.
We respect the fact that wills and legacies are a very sensitive area but cannot stress enough how such a gift to the LJMC can further the work we are able to do to support people affected by cancer.
It seems as if everyone has been even busier than usual and this is reflected in the increase in the number of people who have used the LJMC's services.
At times, waiting lists have been higher than we would like and, even with the increase of our staff numbers by 50%, it seems that staff are running at full stretch.
I commend everyone for their commitment and willingness always to go the extra mile in response to the many and varied demands on their time and talents. It is a privilege to work with such an amazing team of people.
Last updated: April 13, 2012
