Buxton Students Give Free Alternative Care to Cancer Patients
15 April 2009
From left to right: Lynn Ashton and Debbie Lees enjoying the therapies with level 2 NVQ Spa and Beauty students Nadine McNamara, Rhian Harvey.
Support for people with cancer has moved on so much since 2002 and it’s thanks to partnerships like this one
”Debbie Lees
Cancer patients have spoken of their delight at a new partnership between the University of Derby and a local hospice giving them free complementary therapy.
Having completed specialist training, spa managers and assessors at the University of Derby Buxton, have taught students how to deliver therapies, including massage, manicures, pedicures and spa treatments, to cancer patients and carers associated with Blythe House Hospice, in Chapel en le Frith.
Clients from the hospice have already started noticing the benefits.
Lynn Ashton, 60, from Disley in Cheshire was first diagnosed with (an early stage) breast tumour in 2004. An operation removed a tumour but a second tumour was found in 2007. Lynn said that she thought the new scheme was invaluable.
She said: “Many people who’ve been through massive trauma don’t realise they need support. Blythe House helped me understand that I was running on empty and needed to look after myself. I feel physically and emotionally recharged after a session in the spa. Something as simple as a massage can make the world of difference.”
The treatments being offered are aimed to help people cope with the effects of their illness and the side-effects of their treatments.
Anne Cawthorn from the Living Well Centre at Blythe House said: “Historically people diagnosed with cancer were not offered this kind of support but we believe that alongside traditional medicine, alternative treatments can have positive effects.
“Living with cancer can be very stressful and receiving a treatment can help to reduce anxiety levels, or simply allow the person to feel pampered.”
Twelve spa managers and staff have received the specialised training and now offer the free treatments at the beautifully refurbished Devonshire Spa at the University of Derby Buxton or at the Living Well Centre at Blythe House Hospice in Chapel en le Frith in the High Peak.
Some of Buxton’s final year BSc (Hons) International Spa Management students were involved in the training therefore educating the spa managers of the future, and continuing the education of the industry as a whole.
Nadine McNamara, 30, a Level 2 NVQ Beauty Therapy student, said: “This scheme is providing us with an incredible learning experience. It’s important for us to experience working with different client groups and to assess and deliver treatments whilst responding to the particular needs of the client.
“What we are offering is something that can help people feel better when they may be at a very low point in their lives. It’s incredibly rewarding for me as a therapist.”
Debbie Lees, 50, from Glossop, in Derbyshire, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. She had an initial operation to remove a tumor in early 2003 and since then has had surgery a further 11 times.
She said: “Support for people with cancer has moved on so much since 2002 and it’s thanks to partnerships like this one.
“Cancer can have a devastating effect on a person’s identity and breast cancer in particular can wreck a woman’s sense of her own femininity. The treatments we’re receiving help to restore those important feelings.”
Dr Peter Mackereth, Reader in Integrated Health at the University of Derby, said: “It is really important that we prepare our students to work in the real world, where one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. The specialist training provided information about cancer and its treatments – students were also shown how to adapt their treatments so that therapies can be given safely and sensitively.”
Amanda Garrington, Operations Co-ordinator at The Devonshire Spa said: “The service we provide is a gift given to the carers and patients of this incredible organisation who all work so hard to provide a sanctuary of support for our local community.”
Blythe House, Chapel-en-le-Frith, offers free, individualised, holistic care and support for anyone in the High Peak living with cancer or other serious, life threatening illness.
The partnership is also supported by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, where Peter Mackereth is Clinical Lead for Complementary Therapies. The Christie Trust is a specialist NHS cancer centre offering high-quality diagnosis, treatment and care for cancer patients, and world-class research education in all aspects of cancer.
For more information about the Living Well Services contact Blythe House on 01298 815388.
For further media information please contact Annabel Harvey – Press and PR Officer at the University of Derby, 01332 593004 or email: a.harvey@derby.ac.uk
