Free massages for another year for Morecambe and Lancaster cancer patients and their carers

With the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust’s charity, Bay Hospitals Charity, agreeing to pay the other half, it means that no charge aromatherapy massage

can continue to be provided within the cancer units at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness and Westmorland General Hospitals until the end of March 2025.

Under the scheme, funded aromatherapy massage is also available until spring 2025, alongside other free of charge touch therapies, at CancerCare centres in Lancaster, Morecambe,

Kendal and Barrow with all treatments, including those in hospital cancer units, undertaken by professional CancerCare therapists.

Sue Swire, fundraising manager for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue our support of touch therapies across Lancaster, Morecambe Bay, the

Kendal area and all points west to Barrow for another year.

“There is a huge demand for this service from both cancer patients, who are the first priority, and those caring for them, who share in a lot of the stresses that cancer and its treatment bring to daily life.”

Sue added: “There is now a wealth of evidence highlighting an undisputed link between touch therapies and improved physical and mental wellbeing in cancer patients and their carers.

It’s our belief that touch therapy must be available to everyone who wants it so is something that has to be provided for free in order to stop its cost from being prohibitive to some.”

A report on the service prepared by CancerCare for Rosemere Cancer Foundation shows that over the last full 12 month period, 91% of the 455 patients (334 women, 121 men), who

attended free touch therapy appointments within their cancer units at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary or Westmorland or Furness General Hospitals, rated their appointments as

having benefitted them either “greatly” or “a lot” with even the remaining 9% finding some benefit.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere

Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two

counties, including those at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Westmorland and Furness General Hospitals.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey

more effective, comfortable and stress-free.

For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit https://rosemere.org.uk/