On Thursday, 21st September 2023, Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance was pleased to host its annual conference at MKM Stadium in Hull.
The conference celebrated the work that is taking place across the Humber and North Yorkshire area to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care for cancer patients.
One hundred and forty-four people attended the event, with representation from primary and secondary care, NHS England, patient representatives, cancer charities, and third-party organisations.
The event consisted of presentations which showcased achievements such as: the continued delivery of NHS Targeted Lung Health Checks, the implementation of faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) in primary care, the introduction of non-symptom specific pathways, and the impact of free Cancer Champions awareness sessions.
Among the speakers was David Fitzgerald, Programme Director for NHS England’s Cancer Programme, who provided an overview of the NHS Long Term Plan for cancer and highlighted the progress made so far.
(left to right) Zoe Bounds, Dr Dan Cottingham, Allyson Kent, Dr Lucy Gossage
Delegates also heard from Lucy Gossage, who is an oncologist and co-founder of 5k Your Way. 5k Your Way encourages people affected by cancer to take part in a local parkrun. The benefits of being active was a key theme that ran throughout the annual conference, and Lucy noted it is one of the few things people with a cancer diagnosis can do to make them feel better, reduce their fatigue and hopefully help them live longer.
Lucy Turner, Managing Director for Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, said: “The conference provided the perfect platform for us to not only celebrate the work that has taken place, but also to challenge and inspire us to achieve more.
“Our focus throughout the day was on improving outcomes for patients and it was great to welcome two of the Cancer Alliance’s patient representatives as speakers at the event. Simon Maddocks and Allyson Kent kindly shared their own experiences of cancer, whilst highlighting the importance of involving people affected by cancer when working to improve services.
“For me, the take home message was to ‘remember your why’. As a Cancer Alliance, our why is to improve outcomes for patients with cancer and we will continue to work with our partners, and people affected by cancer, to transform diagnosis, treatment and care locally.”
