New service for people with cancer in Peebles

A new service for people living with cancer is being piloted in the Tweeddale area.

Transforming Care After Treatment (TCAT) is a joint project between British Red Cross, Scottish Borders Council (SBC), NHS Borders and FitBorders.

It is being funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and is part of a national programme to improve

the support every person affected by cancer in Scotland receives after their treatment ends. The aim is to enable people to live as independent a life as possible in their local community following their treatment and recovery from cancer.

The service is for anyone in the Tweeddale area who has been given a cancer diagnosis, regardless of what type of cancer they have or their treatment choices. It is free and is available no matter what stage a person is at in their cancer journey.

Councillor Catriona Bhatia, SBC’s Executive Member for Health Service (NHS Borders) said: “The service cancer patients receive from our health service is comprehensive and highly regarded but the changes that a cancer diagnosis brings can last long after treatment ends.

“TCAT is there to support people when they begin the journey of resuming their day to day lives, whether that is finding a way to continue with activities that they enjoyed beforehand or supporting them to find new ones. I am pleased that the people of Tweeddale are being given the opportunity to take part in this worthwhile pilot and would encourage anyone affected by cancer to get in touch and find out what support could be provided.”

Lindsay Wilson from the British Red Cross added: “The TCAT service is here to provide advice, information and support to help a person regain control of their life following a cancer diagnosis. We work in partnership with the person, their family and their friends to provide practical, tailored one-to-one support. Our aim is to help them focus on what is important to their recovery, build up their emotional and physical strength and re-engage with friends and activities.

“Everyone who uses the service is treated as an individual and the support provided is based on what is important to them. They will be encouraged to play an active role in managing their own recovery with support available to help them make the most of the activities available in the Tweeddale area, including access to specially designed exercise groups organised by FitBorders.”

Macmillan’s Development Manager, Nisreen Badiozzaman added: “We know cancer can affect every aspect of someone’s life and these problems don’t go away just because treatment has ended. Many patients tell us they don’t know where to go for support. Some don’t want to bother their busy clinical teams with worries or questions between hospital appointments. For many others their biggest worries aren’t medical at all, but are financial, emotional or practical.

“That’s why Macmillan is spending £5m to fund the TCAT programme, working in partnership with the Scottish Government, the NHS, local authorities and patients across Scotland. The programme aims to change the way people are supported after their treatment ends, making sure they get the care that’s right for them and those around them.”

To access the service, people should contact the Council’s Tweeddale Social Care and Health team in Peebles on 01721 726355. The team will arrange for a home visit to take place to find out more about each person’s individual situation. There may be other forms of support available in addition to TCAT which can also be discussed. More information about support available from the Council’s social care and health team is available at: www.scotborders.gov.uk/socialwork