Llangollen man helps pioneer £1.5m cancer 'pre-treatment' scheme

A Llangollen man is helping to pioneer a national £1.5m campaign to help Welsh cancer patients prepare for their treatment.

Former county councillor and town mayor Stuart Davies (pictured) has been appointed as a patient and public involvement representative for Cardiff University’s new I-Prehab prehabiltation scheme.

The university’s School of Healthcare Sciences, which is running the project, says prehabilitation helps people prepare for cancer treatment through helping them to eat well, be in the best possible physical condition and supporting mental health and emotional resilience.

This, it claims, can lead to fewer treatment complications and better recovery.

The funding from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research fund, will enable work to produce and evaluate a toolkit called I-Prehab.

This will support cancer workers to raise awareness and encourage participation in prehab services for cancer patients.

The researchers aim to work with patients, carers, cancer workers, and cancer service managers to develop the I-Prehab toolkit to overcome access barriers and provide tools to support adherence, particularly for those from socially deprived and ethnic minority communities.

Cardiff’s Professor Jane Hopkinson said: “Patients and the public will play a key role in this work. Patient and public contributors will be involved throughout the research including data analysis, design of methods, patient facing documents, impact plan and effective sharing of information.

“By working with our partner organisations, we aim to make I-Prehab available across Wales and the UK in the future.”  

Of his involvement in the project Stuart Davies said: “After being diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer 14 years ago and being chucked in at the deep end of treatment with little preparation, I realise that a concerted effort to promote prehab, driven by a concerted study, can help people on their journey to get better.

“Better understanding of the data driven by better research can deliver better outcomes.”

He added: “My job is to make sure that we in North Wales make our voice heard so that our views are taken in to account.

“As a former Denbighshire county councillor I have contacted the council and their top team officers who have promised to engage with us on this.

“Members of the public who wish to have their views known can contact me on my email address skipperstu15@gmail.com”