Our Services A - Z - Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre
About the service
About Us
The Macmillan Information and Support Centre at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals provide support to anyone affected by cancer. The centre provides a free and confidential service to people who:
- Require information about cancer
- Have a cancer diagnosis
- Are living with the consequence of a cancer diagnosis
- Have survived cancer
- Are aiming to reduce the risks of cancer
- Are a carer, relative or friend supporting someone with cancer
- Are health and social care professionals
The Macmillan Centre offer includes:
- Information on all aspects of living with cancer
- The opportunity to discuss treatments, side effects and other cancer related issues
- Information and support both face-to-face and over the phone
- Access to a private consultation room where you can speak to someone confidentially
- Links to hospital, community and primary care teams
- Links to charities and statutory agencies
- Links to national and local support services and groups
- Signposting and referrals to services
- Meet the Team
The St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals Macmillan Information Support Centre is staffed by the below team members:
Macmillan Information and Support Centre Manager – Julie Parr
Macmillan Centre Senior Cancer Support Worker – Sophie Pinder
Macmillan Centre Support Worker – Kate Dickenson
Macmillan Centre Benefits Advisor – Mary Roberts
Cancer Counsellor – Deborah Johnson
The team are available to contact via email or telephone:
Email: Macmillan.support@sthk.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01744 647000
- Opening Hours and Location
The Macmillan Centre is open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30pm and is available as both a drop-in and appointment service for information and support.
The Centre can be found at the below address:
Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre
Lower Ground Floor
St Helens Hospital
St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust
Marshalls Cross Road
WA9 3DA - Our Services
Information and Support
If you have been affected by a cancer diagnosis and require information or support, please contact us via our contact details or visit the centre in person. We can provide a range of information supplied by Macmillan to provide you with greater guidance and support. Signposting to other services both at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals and within the local community. Potential services we could signpost you to include:
- Wig fitting
- Counselling
- Complementary Therapies
- HOPE Course
- Relaxation Classes
- Hypnotherapy
- Carers Support Groups
- Patient Support Groups
- Financial advice including access to grants, benefits, housing advice and energy costs
- Practical advice
Helping to Overcome Problems Effectively (HOPE) Course
Life can be tough when you are living with cancer or even after treatment ends. No one should have to face these feelings alone. HOPE can help you get more out of life. The course is available for adults, aged 18 and over, who are coming to the end of treatment or have recently completed it.
The HOPE Course is Macmillan’s free self-management course. This interactive course is designed to help you cope emotionally, psychologically and practically. The course focuses on how to rediscover your inner strengths and develop resilience. The sessions are run by trained HOPE facilitators who are either health or social care professionals or trained volunteers who have had a cancer experience. Time is spent as a small group facilitating discussions, performing group activities and sharing information. Course content includes:
- Goal setting and action planning
- Finding solutions to problems
- Stress management
- Fatigue management
- Identifying your strengths
- Becoming more positive, grateful and appreciating life
- Healthy lifestyles (including diet and activity)
- Prioritising the important things in life
- Fear of cancer recurrence
- Body image, sexuality and intimacy
- Communication skills
For more information or to reserve a place on the course please contact Macmillan.support@sthk.nhs.uk or 01744 647000.
Counselling
A cancer diagnosis can be a difficult time for both patients and families, resulting in additional stress and anxiety. Discussing issues with a trained counsellor can support patients and their families throughout diagnosis, surgery or treatment. At STHK MCISS we provide free counselling sessions to patients or carers who have been diagnosed or treated at STHK in the past 5 years. Up to 6 counselling sessions can be provided.
Face to face counselling appointments are available from Monday to Friday and can be made on an appointment only basis. If you feel yourself or a family member would benefit from counselling, please discuss this with your Cancer Nurse Specialist or Cancer Support Worker who will be able to refer you to the service on your behalf.
Telephone counselling appointments are available for patients with a diagnosis of cancer through Macmillan’s partnership with Bupa. For more information on how to apply please visit the webpage below: Free specialist counselling for people with cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support
Relaxation Classes
Group relaxation classes can be accessed by patients with a cancer diagnosis. The classes take place in a small group setting with the aim to equip patients with the skills to overcome obstacles effectively and provide a sense of calm.
For a referral into this service please discuss this with your Cancer Nurse Specialist or Cancer Support Worker who will be able to make a referral on your behalf.
Hypnotherapy
If you are a cancer patient and suffer from anxiety, needle phobia or nausea before treatment, hypnotherapy may help to relieve symptoms.
For a referral into this service please discuss this with your Cancer Nurse Specialist or Cancer Support Worker who will be able to make a referral on your behalf.
Benefits Advice
The Benefits Advisor at the St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals Macmillan Information and Support Centre can support access to benefits and grants for patients who have been deemed in the last 12 months of life. To access this support, you must have a DS1500 form completed by a Cancer Nurse Specialist or Cancer Support Worker. If you would like to have more information about this, please contact your named Cancer Nurse Specialist or Cancer Support Worker to complete a DS1500 form.
Other forms of financial support are available to access from the National Macmillan Team or your local Citizens Advice Bureau. This may include:
- Checking which Benefits you may be entitled to
- Helping you apply for Benefits and Grants
- Supporting you with Benefits Problems
- Helping you to apply for a Blue Badge
- Energy Advice
- Housing Advice
The National Macmillan specialist advisors can help you to identify what benefits you may be entitled to such as:
- Universal Credit
- Personal Independent Payment (PIP)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Other types of support may also be accessed including:
- Accessing your pension early and Pension Credit
- Income maximisation
- Macmillan Grants
To access benefits and financial support please visit www.macmillan.org.uk/financialsupport or speak directly to a specialist advisor on 0808 808 00 00.
Complementary Therapies
If you have been diagnosed or treated for cancer at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals in the previous 5 years you are eligible for free sessions of Complementary Therapies. Complementary Therapies have many benefits including stress reduction, aiding relaxation, providing a sense of wellbeing and has both physiological and psychological benefits. The Complementary Therapies provided at St Helens Hospital includes:
- Reiki
- Aromatherapy
- Indian Head Massage
- Reflexology
All treatments are provided on an appointment only basis and can be booked by contacting Macmillan.support@sthk.nhs.uk or 01744 647000.
- Volunteering Opportunities
Macmillan Centre Volunteers
We are wishing to recruit volunteers in our Macmillan Centre to help support the smooth running of the service. Volunteers may support the service by taking stock checks of leaflets and ordering leaflets, make refreshments whilst welcoming visitors to the centre and directing patients to the relevant information booklets.
For further information please contact Sophie Pinder, Senior Cancer Support Worker at Sophie.Pinder3@sthk.nhs.uk or on 01744 647000.
Qualified Counselling Volunteers
We are wishing to recruit Counselling Volunteers to perform counselling sessions for our cancer patients and their carers. You must be a Qualified Counsellor (registered with the BACP) and have your own insurance.
For further information please contact Deborah Johnson, Cancer Counsellor at Deborah.Johnson2@sthk.nhs.uk
Complementary Therapies Volunteers
We are wishing to recruit Complementary Therapist Volunteers to perform treatments for our cancer patients. You must be a trained Complementary Therapist and have your own insurance. We are looking for therapists who are trained in delivering Aromatherapy, Indian Head Massage and Reflexology.
We are also wishing to recruit volunteers trained in delivering Meditation to deliver monthly group sessions.
For further information please contact Kate Dickenson, Cancer Support Worker at Kate.Dickenson@sthk.nhs.uk or on 01744 647000.
- Documents and Helpful Contacts
You can download a wide range of leaflets directly from the Macmillan website. They provide high quality, up-to-date cancer information for cancer patients, their families and carers. All their information is written and reviewed by specialists.
The Macmillan website link will direct you to information about different conditions and treatments that are available.
Macmillan information resources – Macmillan website www.macmillan.org.uk
- Macmillan financial support services www.macmillan.org.uk/financialsupport
- Macmillan Support Line for practical, emotional, clinical and financial help 8am – 8pm – 0808 808 0000
- Macmillan Web Chat online 8am – 8pm link is here
- Macmillan online community through Macmillan website 24 hours a day 7 days a week www.macmillan.org.uk
- Future Events
Patient Participation Group - Health and Wellbeing Events
We are looking to meet with patients who have completed cancer treatment to help us design our future Health and Wellbeing Events. The group is scheduled to meet on Thursday 27th April from 4-6pm at Nightingale House based on the Whiston Hospital site. For more information, please contact Nicola O’Pray, Cancer Operational Manager at Nicola.OPray2@sthk.nhs.uk
Page last updated on 24th March 2023
