South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance are working to develop and improve cancer care in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw and are currently recruiting new members for their People Affected by Cancer Advisory Board, allowing local people to have their say on the future of cancer services.
The alliance brings together NHS organisations, local councils, charities, and patient groups to develop cancer services based around the whole person, not just their cancer. In order for cancer services to be the best they can be, meaningful communication and understanding of the local population’s experience and feedback is vital.
The People Affected by Cancer Advisory Board is a panel of people who have been affected by cancer in South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw or North Derbyshire, either as a cancer patient or as someone who has cared for, or supported, someone with cancer. It is designed to ensure that the needs of patients and carers are given priority, and to challenge the thinking of those making decisions where necessary.
The Advisory Board meet every two months for approximately two hours, along with programme leads from the Cancer Alliance and on occasion, partners from NHS organisations or charities. The meetings are an opportunity to share feedback and updates and to discover opportunities for further involvement. This work is then fed back to senior leaders and key decision-making forums of the Cancer Alliance.
Kathryn Gilmore, a current Advisory Board member, said: “The patient voice can be very powerful. Some of my feedback has surprised people because it was something only a person with lived experience knows and they just hadn’t thought of it.
I’ve met some fabulous people through being a patient representative, people who otherwise I would not have had the opportunity to meet. Listening to other people talk about their experiences makes you realise that you are not alone and that we all want the same thing.”
The Cancer Alliance is recruiting to the People Affected by Cancer Advisory Board to widen its membership and ensure it is representative of the community the Cancer Alliance serves.
Julia Dicks, Clinical Director at the Cancer Alliance and Consultant Breast Surgeon, said: “Using real patient experiences and feedback to improve cancer services is one of our main priorities. Using the valuable insights from people on our advisory board to shape and develop our services is vital.
“We already have some fantastic people on our Advisory Board who are helping us to shape current programmes of work and pathways, but we would love to expand the membership further. South Yorkshire has a diverse population, and it is really important that we have feedback from people from a range of communities and backgrounds. We’re looking forward to hearing from people who are keen to join the board and use their experiences, good and bad, to make real changes.”
People Affected by Cancer Board members join on a voluntary basis but reimbursement for travel and parking is provided, along with training and ongoing support for the role. In between meetings, additional opportunities for involvement are shared with members, for example surveys or invitations to subject-specific project groups.
The alliance is also recruiting to a separate People Affected by Cancer Membership List, for those who want to be involved in projects, but who cannot commit to regular meetings.
More information about the People Affected by Cancer Advisory Board and how to apply, as well as other ways to get involved can be found here
For an informal conversation about the role, please email syicbsheffield.cancerallianceadvisoryboard@nhs.net.
