New cancer support for our district

Lorraine Newton, who has been a nurse for 38 years and a Macmillan cancer support nurse for 20, has established a group based at her beauty salon in Roberttown for patients and their families.

She currently works part time in as a nurse Bradford and feels the city has strong support for people suffering from the illness whereas the services have been stripped out of our area.

She said: “I’m aware that the Dewsbury, Batley and Spen areas have lost most of the cancer services and support to Wakefield and Huddersfield over the last few years, and that the Rosewood centre at Dewsbury has over the last year lost the palliative community nursing support and is open to day care services only.

“When people are diagnosed with cancer they go through a lot of physical and psychological turmoil and in the Dewsbury area services have been diluted – there is nowhere they can drop in or be signposted to other services.

“Because of the loss of these community services I feel that I would like to offer my years of experience and contacts in providing a drop in facility with support from Macmillan Cancer and linking in to other organisations for people who are living with cancer and having or have had treatments and needing on-going support, advice and information. It’s about helping people through this awful time and helping them get back to their lives – that’s where I’m coming from.

“It’s not end of life care and, given modern treatments, most of them will get better and get their lives back on track.”