Published on 30 June 2021
A new service has launched across Wirral to help people diagnosed with cancer to get physically and mentally fit before treatment.
Wirral Prehabilitation Service supports people in building up their physical health and mental wellbeing ahead of surgery or cancer therapies, which can take their toll on patients.
If patients improve these aspects of their lives, they can respond better to treatment and it also can improve their quality of life afterwards, including by helping with lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking or increasing exercise.
The benefits of prehabilitation can be seen in as little as two weeks. Prehabilitation empowers people with cancer to enhance their own physical and mental health and wellbeing and thereby supports them to live life as fully as they can.
The service is being delivered by One Wirral CIC, working in partnership with Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and is funded by Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance.
Lucy Holmes, One Wirral CIC Health and Wellbeing Operations Manager, said: “One Wirral is a social enterprise which brings organisations and people together to achieve bigger and better things for the people of Wirral.
“We want to help build healthier and more resilient communities. Our goal is to ensure people have equal access to services that make their lives better, including those that go further than providing medical services alone.
“Prehabilitation enables people with cancer to reduce their surgical stress response and optimise their physiological function to aid their recovery and improve their quality-of-life post treatment.
“Prehab also provides an important opportunity for people living with cancer to implement lifestyle interventions such as physical activity, smoking cessation, nutritional and wellbeing support to reduce risk factors to health.”
Dr Debbie Harvey, CMCA Primary Care Lead, said: “The Wirral Prehabilitation Service is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to local people living with cancer.
“Through supporting people to prepare themselves both physically and mentally for their cancer treatments, we have an opportunity to make positive change, not only for individuals who can work with these lifestyle changes longer term, but also to support the wider healthcare system, too.
“By hosting the service in primary care and working closely with Wirral University Hospital Trust we will make best of our resources and offer optimal care to people living with cancer.”
For more information, visit the One Wirral CIC website: www.onewirral.co.uk
Below is the One Wirral CIC team.
