Coping with cancer can bring emotional and psychological challenges. To help you navigate feelings of anxiety, sadness, fear or uncertainty, we have created a list of resources and services that can help. This can help you connect with the help and care you need whether you are a patient, survivor or care giver.
On this page you will find online and printable resources, group and peer support resources, and services that provide individual support and psychological therapy.
Think Well With Cancer
The Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance is collaborating with Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust to develop a tailored Talking Therapies Cancer Pathway embedded within existing Talking Therapies and aligned with the objectives of the NHS Long-Term Plan. This initiative supports GMMH’s commitment to expanding Talking Therapies services to address specific long-term conditions, in line with the integrated care goals outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan » Adult mental health services.
Information for Healthcare Professionals
Psychological Support and Mental Health Delivery Group
- The group is dedicated to enhancing psychological support and mental health care, and it operates within the Personalised Care workstream. It brings together a diverse team of specialists and patient representatives who collaborate to improve mental health services and experiences across cancer care. This includes areas such as diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, living with and beyond cancer, and end-of-life care.
- Comprised of psycho-oncology experts, the delivery group shares its expertise and skills to support and strengthen mental health services in primary care, secondary care, and talking therapy services. Acting as subject matter experts, they provide valuable knowledge and guidance to the wider teams, ensuring a holistic approach to mental health in cancer care.
- For more information, please feel free to reach out to Olivia Gunby [olivia.gunby@nhs.net]
Anita Ghosh, Clinical Lead
Katie Law, Programme Manager for Genomics/Psychological Support
Olivia Gunby, Personalised Care Manager, Psychological Support & Mental Health
Training Resources
Please see the link below to the Cancer Academy for info on the following modules:
- Foundations in Psychological Care
- Psychological Care Level 2 Modules
Innovation Projects
Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Beechwood Cancer Care
The aim of the Project was to pilot three innovative support options for children with an oncology diagnosis, their parent/carers and siblings. This support included:
Parent ‘café’ support groups for parents/carers adjusting to their child’s oncology diagnosis. (up to 9 groups)
Tree of Life (ToL) group for children and young people who have finished active treatment (‘ringing the bell’) and are adjusting back into day-to-day routines and a ‘new normal’. (up to 4 groups)
Forest School support programme to enable siblings to address the adverse psychological impact of having a brother or sister with a cancer diagnosis. (up to 4 groups)
The pilot delivered access to new group support for families under the RMCH oncology service, offering three distinct interventions for patients, parents/carers, and siblings which achieved positive outcomes. Ongoing partnerships with Beechwood Cancer Care and Young Lives vs Cancer ensure these programmes will continue beyond the pilot.
If you would like to gain further information on the project please contact Olivia.gunby@nhs.net
NHS Talking Therapies – Tameside and Glossop
The aim of the ‘Talking Therapies Expansion Project’ was to expand the offer of prioritised psychotherapies for individuals living with cancer. The therapies identified to be most beneficia were Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The project focused on training clinicians to deliver these therapies and to create an expedited pathway to allow service users to received prioritised treatment
The project has been successful in being able to expand the provision of prioritised talking therapies to those affected by cancer. All clinicians have now entered or completed their training, and all therapies are now live on the pathway. Both qualitative and quantitative data indicates that the pathway has successfully reached all targets for clinical outcomes and quality premiums, bolstering the outcomes for Tameside and Glossop Talking Therapies as a whole. The biggest achievement is the significant effect this will have on the quality of life of service users who have been affected by cancer. Not only are the therapies shown to be effective, but they are delivered in a way that enables patient choice, efficiency and strengthens relationships between mental health and physical health professionals.
If you would like to gain further information on the project please contact Olivia.gunby@nhs.net
The Christie – The implementation of a digital educational resource for patients requiring information following pelvic radiotherapy related to sexual health.
The aim of this project is to improve education for patients on Radiotherapy sexual health late effects via a selection of videos, regardless of disease site, gender or sexuality and improve education for non-expert staff on Radiotherapy sexual health late effects and to encourage conversations between healthcare staff and patients about Radiotherapy sexual health late effects.
This project is currently in development. If you would like to gain further information, please contact Olivia.gunby@nhs.net