Keith Lawrey with Marianne Julebin, Charity Administrator
Keith Lawrey and I met OCCTOPUS Oxford Colon Cancer Trust in Oxford on 29th January 2019 to present a cheque for £4,500 towards enhanced care for patients after bowel cancer or colorectal surgery.
Charity Administrator, Marianne Julebin advised me that every year, 750 people in Oxfordshire undergo bowel surgery to remove all or part of their colon. I was very shocked to be told that 150 of these cases involved children.
Nursing support at the Radcliffe Hospital want to improve patient after-care following surgery. Unfortunately, having to use a stoma can lead to patients experiencing mental health illness issues, such as isolation and anxiety. The hospital nurses intend to run a full aftercare service with the support of Maggie’s Cancer Care. As part of this service, the nurses wish to provide better stoma usage training. Unfortunately, they have one very old stoma mannequin. The NHS does not provide this type of equipment.
The Hospital Saturday Fund grant will provide funds for two adult mannequins and one specialised children’s stoma mannequin.
About OCCTOPUS Oxford Colon Cancer Trust
OCCTOPUS Oxford Colon Cancer Trust was formed in 2003; its aims are to fund practical advances in treatment, education, and research in colorectal cancer, Colitis, Crohns, and Continence.
Such is the speed of progress in this area of surgery that new techniques and high technology equipment are being introduced all the time. Incisions and access to body cavities are becoming smaller and smaller in what is called minimally invasive or keyhole surgery.
OCCTOPUS aims to help the colorectal team at the Oxford University hospitals keep up to date with, and even ahead of these advances. This will allow patients to benefit from the very latest treatments, better-educated surgeons and the most modern procedures. The charity also works closely with the Pelican Cancer Trust based in Basingstoke. The Hospital Saturday Fund has supported this charity over a number of years.
OCCTOPUS has already raised over £1m and funded two special keyhole theatres; one at the John Radcliffe Hospital and the other, more recently, at the new surgery and diagnostics centre at the Churchill Hospital.
For more details:
Visit OCCTOPUS on www.occtopus.org.uk
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