Charity funded Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies can also significantly improve patients’ mental health and wellbeing by helping them to manage issues like stress, anxiety and needle phobia. It can be this additional supportive care that often helps patients to complete their difficult clinical treatment regimens while maintaining a good quality of life.

Although the team operates in a clinical environment, patients don’t perceive therapeutic treatments as something medical. Rather, they welcome them as comforting experiences that offer a restorative respite from the medical nature of cancer treatment.

Patients who have undergone multiple clinical treatment cycles or surgical procedures deeply appreciate the compassionate support and care they receive from therapists. After a treatment, therapists often notice a change in a patient’s body language, expression and voice as they appear more relaxed and comfortable.

One patient spoke highly of the team, saying it’s: “an excellent service—it’s relaxing and the staff are so friendly. They’ve become a friend to me during my treatment.” The complementary therapies team also provides end-of-life support to palliative care patients, supports outpatients after treatment and run regular cancer support meetings at Maggie’s where they provide information about their service, and tips and tools to reduce stress. By offering continued care, they help patients to manage the possible long-lasting impacts of cancer treatment, ensuring that everyone receives compassionate care throughout all stages of their journey.

Looking to the future:

Referrals to the complementary therapies service are increasing year-on-year. With a growing demand for anti-cancer treatments, increasing patient numbers with complex care needs and a younger patient demographic requiring treatment, it’s a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. Urgent referrals for patients requiring emotional support have also risen and more staff are seeking help for issues like stress, anxiety, menopause and insomnia.

Looking ahead, the service hopes to meet this increasing demand and expand their service to support even more patients, relatives and staff. To further enhance the service, the team hope for improved facilities, including a purpose-built treatment room that provides a calming and aesthetically pleasing environment for patients. They also aim to expand their offerings with new treatments and groupwork like meditation.