New Macmillan information pod opens at Causeway Hospital

Macmillan Cancer Support, in partnership with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, has opened a new cancer information pod in the main entrance to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. The pod will be home to valuable information and support for anyone with questions about cancer.

Margaret O’Hagan, Director of Acute Services for the Northern Trust, said the new pod will have a positive impact on the local community: “We are delighted that, together with Macmillan Cancer Support, we are able to provide an information service for patients, relatives, carers and staff in the Northern Trust.
“The provision of a Macmillan Information Pod for Causeway Hospital is helping us to enhance the service we give to patients throughout the Trust, especially in the Causeway locality. Working with Macmillan, and others, we aim to ensure information and support is available to all.”

The pod provides a friendly environment for patients, carers and anyone affected by cancer to access good quality, comprehensive and appropriate information and support. A wide-range of Macmillan booklets are available, dealing with everything from managing symptoms to advice on benefits and financial support.
Paula Kealey, Senior Macmillan Development Manager, outlined the importance of this latest information facility: “I am delighted to see this Macmillan Information Pod up and running in such a prominent position in the entrance to Causeway Hospital. This information area demonstrates the Northern Trust’s commitment to ensuring that high quality information and support is available to anyone affected by cancer in the area.

“The pod will be managed by a Macmillan Information and Support Manager and a team of volunteers. We would especially like to thank these volunteers, who have signed up to help people with questions about cancer get the information they need – their support is invaluable and makes all the difference when it comes to a resource such as this.

“The pod is part of a much wider network of Macmillan information points across the Northern Health Trust area which underlines our commitment to ensuring that people right across Northern Ireland have access to the right information at the right time.”

Trained Macmillan volunteers will man the pod on Tuesdays from 9.30am – 12.30pm; Wednesdays 2.00pm – 4.00pm and Thursdays 9.30am – 12.30pm. No appointment is necessary and people can drop in during these times for a chat or to have their questions answered.

Resources such as this are vitally important to anyone who has been affected by cancer. When 61-year-old Evelyn McCullough from Portstewart was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer, the information and support she received from Macmillan helped her through her diagnosis and subsequent treatment at Causeway.
Evelyn said: “The care and compassion I have received and continue to receive from Macmillan has been such a help to both myself and my family. I think this new information pod is a wonderful service which will be a real benefit to others. The staff here at Causeway are fantastic and this will be of valuable assistance to them.”

This is the latest information point to be opened by Macmillan in hospitals throughout Northern Ireland in a bid to ensure that no one here faces cancer alone.

Pictured are:
Bob McCann, Chairman NHSCT, Margaret O’Hagan, Director of Acute Services NHSCT, Evelyn McCullough and Paula Kealey, Senior Macmillan Development Manager.

6th July 2017