Essex to offer prehabilitation for cancer patients

Cancer patients across Essex will be offered the chance to prepare themselves for treatment and surgery thanks to a new service set to launch at the University of Essex’s Health, Wellbeing and Care Hub.

Students and staff will be providing prehabilitation to service users diagnosed with cancer to make them healthier and mentally prepared for what lies ahead.

Research has shown that helping patients prepare both physically and mentally for cancer treatment boosts both efficacy and recovery time.

Prehabilitation offered by the Hub will include a range of services, such as physical activity, nutrition advice, psychological and social support, and ongoing evaluation.

Essex students will work alongside qualified nurses, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, dieticians and occupational therapists to deliver the service, which is estimated to support 750 service users across two years.

Katherine Farrow, Clinical Services Lead, at Essex, said: “Research has shown the positive impact prehab can have on cancer patients. It can improve their mood, their recovery and even reduce complications associated with treatments.

“We are delighted to be offering this service, which cuts across multiple areas of research and expertise that we have available here at the University.

“The service will not only deliver vital healthcare to the people of Essex, but also provide valuable experience to our students; the nurses, doctors and experts of the future.”

Service users will be offered an initial assessment in the Hub before beginning prehabilitation.

This will assess a range of parameters such as their BMI, blood pressure, O2 levels, muscle strength, mental health and the impact of lifestyle choices such as smoking and alcohol consumption. After an initial assessment, they will take part in two-hour sessions twice a week, for 10 weeks.

This will include accessing the gym and resistance equipment to build up physical strength and resilience, mindfulness sessions to support mental health and wellbeing, and education on healthy eating and wellbeing practices to ensure longer term sustainability and health promotion.

The prehabilitation offer at the Health, Wellbeing and Care Hub, which is based inside Clingoe House at Essex’s Colchester Campus, adds to its expanding healthcare services on offer to residents. Other services include a neuro-rehab clinic, dementia and Parkinsons support, and play sessions for preschool children with Down Syndrome.

Professor Victoria Joffe, Dean of Integrated Health and Care Partnerships, said: “This prehabilitation cancer service is at the heart of what we are trying to accomplish here in the Hub, with a focus on workforce development, filling gaps in service provision delivered by our students and enhancing health and wellbeing for people in the community.

“The service directly addresses the key shifts in the NHS-year plan, by offering community care and focusing on health promotion.”