A new community based cancer project has been launched across the Western Health and Social Care Trust which will see a number of local organisations working together to support cancer patients.
The Cancer Connected Communities project was launched on Tuesday at the Silver Birch Hotel in Omagh, with the Western Trust describing it as the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.
The project aims to integrate care for those diagnosed with cancer across the Trust area, with Care for Cancer in Omagh and SWELL in Enniskillen amongst the groups which will become partners of the project.
The National Lottery Community Fund has funded the project to the tune of £465,000.
“I am delighted to see these groups working together to connect and maximise their capability,” Western Trust chief executive Neil Guckian said.
“The launch of this innovative project here today demonstrates the strong relationships that exist among our partner organisations and it will give the opportunity to build upon our support to patients and their families impacted by cancer.
“Over the next three years, through the delivery of this initiative, we hope to demonstrate further what can be achieved through true collaborative working and by forging strong relationships between the Western Trust and our partner organisations.
“Ultimately it will be patients and their families that benefit and it is our hope that it will also lead to the delivery of stronger patient care in the months and years ahead.”
Coordinators from each of the partner organisations will be trained in a specialised listening technique and will use this to deliver locally based programmes in order to help those in their community.
The facilitators and cancer patients across all programmes will come together to agree a shared agenda for change for individuals, families and communities living with cancer across the Western Trust area.
