ANNUAL REVIEW master Final3a - St Vincent's University Hospital

Lios Aoibhinn Cancer Support Centre
2007 was a year of challenge, innovation and development for Lios Aoibhinn Cancer Support Centre. Much
was achieved and targets were met. However more work is required to continue the development of Lios
Aoibhinn Cancer Support Centre. Solid foundations based on the highest standards are in place upon which
future services can be developed.
Service Activity
2007 was a time of movement within the Cancer Support Centre. In January we welcomed Paul D’Alton as
Psychologist to the Oncology service. We bade farewell to Ann Marie McGrath, Complementary Touch
Therapist at the end of September and wish her well with her continuing education and degree programme
in Complementary Therapies . In December we said goodbye to Art Therapist, Wendy Marlatt. Wendy had
facilitated 8 week courses in Creative Arts Therapies since the Centre opened in June 2004. Mary Hennigan,
Administrative Assistant relocated to the hospital in March and in April we welcomed Caroline Livingstone in
her place. Caroline had previously worked in the Project office.
We welcomed 3 new volunteers. Stephen Dollard in May and Fiona Hedigan and Anne Douglas in October.
We now have 9 volunteers who provide an invaluable “meet and greet” service to people who use Lios Aoibhinn.
551 people (including 358 new clients) used the service on 4595 occasions in the first 3 years of service
(2005 – 2007). This represents a steady increase in both the number of clients registering and attending
and service activity. Two new courses were developed and facilitated in 2007: Men and Prostate Cancer:
Keeping the Focus and Mindfullness Based Cognitive Therapy. Such was the response that these courses
will now continue to be offered as part of the centre’s programme of services.
Challenges
At year end the challenge is to relocate the Centre. This has been necessitated by the planned construction
of the new St. Vincent’s Private Hospital on the grounds of St. Anthony’s. Lios Aoibhinn Cancer Support
Centre was set up in Herbert House in St. Anthony’s in 2004 and since then there has been a steady
increase in the numbers of people using the centre. Client’s experiences tell us that as well as being a space
to help them cope with and make sense of what is happening to them, the work of Lios Aoibhinn goes
beyond that, beyond their experience of just being a “cancer patient”. So while the past four years have been
busy and challenging they have also been very worthwhile and have afforded us the opportunity of setting
up and developing a truly credible service which all of us will be working hard to transfer to our new abode.
The recent announcement that St. Vincent’s University Hospital has been designated one of the cancer
treatment centres of excellence confirms the vision and commitment by St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group to
specialist cancer care. However this adds to the urgent need to commit to the parallel development of Lios
Aoibhinn Cancer Support Centre in line with the development of other oncology services in the hospital to
take account of increased activity.
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