New cancer service funded by Macmillan Cancer Support urges sufferers ‘If you need advice about cancer, give us a call…
An innovative new cancer service has launched at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
Funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, the Macmillan Advice and Guidance Service (MAGS) is a telephone-based team who can help trust patients access the information and support they need – in just one call.
The MAGS Team can answer questions about appointments, including rescheduling.
They provide advice on a wide range of non-clinical issues, such as financial worries and emotional support, or can signpost to
useful local services.
They also work with the patient’s Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and other hospital teams to ensure a more seamless service.
Ada Howie, team lead for the Macmillan Advice and Guidance Service, explained how they’re helping local people living with cancer.
She said: “Run with Macmillan, our MAGS specialist advisors offer expert, non-clinical guidance to any trust cancer patient, as well as to family members and carers.
“People contact our service, wanting access to more information about their cancer type or treatment and we can help them with that.
“We’re also here for connected issues too, such as money worries or people needing psychological support as a result of their cancer diagnosis.
“The MAGS Team wants to ensure that people living with cancer have access to the best quality advice and support, no matter which stage of their cancer journey they are at.
The team is available Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm, so if you have a question, give MAGS a call.”
Stephanie Hall, Macmillan partnership manager for South-east London said: “The Macmillan Advice and Guidance Service is not only a fantastic example of an innovative programme that’s helping Londoners living with cancer, it also represents the very best in partnership working; bringing together Macmillan’s cancer expertise with Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust’s high standards of clinical care.
“Staffed by a specialist team of Macmillan Cancer Support Workers, MAGS is there for patients from the point of diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.
“We’re thrilled Macmillan has been able to contribute about £368,000 towards the set-up of this team. And as Macmillan is funded
almost entirely by donations and receives no Government funding, it’s thanks solely to the generosity of our amazing supporters that Macmillan is able to fund new services such as MAGS.”
If you’re a patient at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, you can call the MAGS Team on 0208 333 3336, Mondays to Fridays, from 9am to 5pm.
Macmillan only fund services like this thanks to our amazing supporters.
Visit macmillan.org.uk/getinvolved today to
donate or volunteer.
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