Cancer care

person's tummy with stitches

Being diagnosed with cancer can be a very upsetting and stressful time for you and your loved ones. We at Haughton Thornley Medical Centres want to try to make things easier for you and help as best as we can to support you as you go through treatment and come to live with cancer.

As soon as you are diagnosed with cancer (usually by a hospital specialist), the practise is informed and a GP will contact you to ensure you are supported by us too and that we are here to help too.

Who can help you manage your condition?

  • You should have a named GP as your main point of call. Having a GP support you provides you with reassurance and also continuity of care so that they can help advise you too.  
  • The hospital specialists will of course be able to advise you especially when you are going through specific treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and or radiotherapy

What can you do to help yourself?

  • We recommend all patients with cancer should have full access to their electronic health records. This allows you to read what your doctor or nurse has advised and also to share this if you like with others including your family and also if you ever need to be seen by other health care or other professionals whom you trust eg Out of Hours, A&E or if you ever get admitted into hospital. Remember only you can have full access to your electronic health records and hence only you can share this with others if you wish to with those whom you trust. 80% of patients with cancer could do this (correct on 12th March 2023). Here are the latest figures for now. 
  • It is important NOT to smoke and to improve your lifestyle by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Contact Be Well Tameside or ask your doctor or nurse if you would like help
  • Make sure you take your medication regularly and on time. Online services can really help by ensuring you order your prescriptions on time regularly. The Evergreen Life app also allows you to set notifications on your smartphone to remind you when it is time to take your medication and you can even record when you have taken it to remind yourself in case you are unsure! 

Learn about Cancer

Listen to other people who have been diagnosed with cancer

There are many different types of cancer. Health Talk have interviewed a wide range of people with personal experience of cancer, so that you can share in their stories as well

  • Know your numbers! Your doctor or nurse should be able to tell you how you can monitor your own health eg weight, kidney function, prostate specific antigen blood test, the number of steps you are walking, your sleep, your mood, what you eat and drink including alcohol and what you eat. Cancer is not just about what your doctor and nurse do but also what you can do to help yourself
  • Check for anxiety and depression. Patients can often begin to feel anxious or depressed. We can all have an “off day” occasionally but if you find you are constantly feeling low or anxious then please speak to your doctor or nurse
  • Make sure you have your flu jab prior to the winter months
  • If you have been diagnosed with cancer then you also qualify for free prescriptions. Ask the receptionist or your pharmacist for further information.
  • Become a Cancer Voice champion. Cancer Voices are people from across the UK who have all been affected by cancer in some way. They share their experiences to help shape cancer services and improve cancer care. There’s no such thing as a typical Cancer Voice, they come from all age groups and walks of life but they are all vital to shaping the future of cancer services.