Volunteers help keep cancer treatment going for chemotherapy patients

Posted 9th June 2020

A group of volunteers have been helping to ensure cancer patients continue to receive treatment throughout the pandemic by offering a delivery service for oral chemotherapy tablets.

Volunteers at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Wirral have been working with the centre’s team at their in-house pharmacy, PharmaC, to safely deliver medication to the most vulnerable patients in the community.

Burhan Zavery, Superintendent Pharmacist, said: “We established the service in April to ensure eligible patients can continue oral chemotherapy treatment without visiting our site, unless it’s essential. Our delivery service has also reduced footfall into the hospital and allows us to prioritise patients who must be seen face to face in the pharmacy.”

One of the 31 volunteers delivering medication to patients all over the region is Paul Hignett from Liverpool. Paul is Subject Leader for Science at Prenton High School in Wirral and has been travelling as far as Southport to deliver to patients, in between planning lessons for his pupils. Paul said: “I wanted to support the centre’s staff and its patients and have been fitting deliveries in around my school responsibilities.

“It’s understandable that patients may be anxious about the pandemic, but I hope seeing a friendly face has helped them in some way.

“Keeping everyone safe is our top priority when delivering to patients. We observe social distancing at all times and confirm all the patient’s details. I’m delighted to be able to support the pharmacy team and their patients during this really difficult time.”

Helen Poulter-Clark is Chief Pharmacist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. She said: “Our pharmacy delivery service is just one of the ways The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has been working to support our patients during this crisis.

“This has been a real collaborative effort, involving teams from across the trust including clinicians, nurses and administrative staff. We’re very grateful to be working closely with a trusted team of volunteers, who have supported us in safely delivery medication to some of our most vulnerable patients.”

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