Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales visited The Christie Hospital’s Withington site today, where the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance is also hosted. Her Royal Highness’s visit was to highlight the vital role of supporting people’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing alongside their clinical treatment.
The Princess met with staff, and patients currently undergoing chemotherapy. Her Royal Highness also met patients receiving complementary therapy and heard how it has assisted their physical and emotional wellbeing. The Princess then visited the art room and met resident artist Patricia Mountford. The Princess also met with gardener Phil Walker to discover how the landscape of the wellbeing garden gives patients and staff an opportunity to pause and reflect. Finally, Her Royal Highness visited The Christie’s Teenage and Young Adult unit, funded by The Christie Charity, and met staff, young patients and their families, and learned about the therapeutic, social and recreational activities designed to support young people as they navigate an especially challenging time.
As well as the important work being done at The Christie highlighted today, Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance helps support patients both during and after their treatment at The Christie and other hospitals, helping people to live well with and beyond cancer.
Our Health and Wellbeing Hub brings together trusted information and support in one place. It covers physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, financial concerns and lifestyle advice. It connects patients and families to local services and resources, empowering them to navigate all aspects of life affected by cancer.
Our Psychological Support and Mental Health programme provides access to mental health resources, including a range of explainer animations and videos co-developed with patient representatives – to support with body image and fatigue, family support, and links to local charities, while strengthening coordination of care across Greater Manchester.
We have also played a key role in ensuring that cancer patients in Greater Manchester are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment — a structured conversation to identify and address each person’s individual needs during and after treatment.
Together, these programmes ensure that cancer care goes beyond medical treatment, supporting the whole person — physically, emotionally and socially.
Find out more about our Health and Wellbeing Hub.
