Mount Vernon Cancer Centre: Hillingdon Stroke Support Group members give their views!

When Hillingdon Stroke Support Group heard about the proposal to move Mount Vernon Cancer Treatment Centre from Northwood to Watford, we were worried! The Group members are like everyone else - we all know someone who has had cancer, some members have been treated for cancer at Mount Vernon, and others have family members currently being treated there. 

The Group signed up to run two focussed consultation groups with members and their families, and to feed back our opinions to the NHS. Group volunteer Matt said:

“As soon as we heard about the proposal we knew we had to get involved. Our 

members are stroke survivors and they are vulnerable. Some have mobility 

difficulties, while others have severe communication problems, impaired 

concentration, or emotional changes following their stroke. We couldn’t just leave

them on their own to respond to the NHS’s questionnaire - they needed help to

interpret the information and reflect on it, and then they needed time to express how

they feel about the proposal.”

Photos caption:

Members at our two consultation sessions, taking a quick break from concentrating on the questions about moving Mount Vernon Cancer Centre from Northwood to Watford.

The consultation was organised by ‘Olovus’, a specialist consultancy company from Durham which aims to involve everyone “in delivering meaningful change in health and care.” Along with senior staff from NHS England, Mount Vernon, Watford General and University College London Hospitals, Olovus prepared a video and information pack, devised the questions for discussion, and gave strict guidance on how the consultation must be carried out.

Cath, a volunteer supporter said:

“Luckily, before retirement I often worked with people with cognitive or 

communication difficulties, and I had to write detailed reports for Ofsted or the local 

authority. I needed the same skills for these consultation groups - explaining things

clearly, encouraging members to speak, or point to letters or pictures on their 

communication board, and I needed to repeat what I had understood and check that 

I’d got it right. Finally I had to write up the discussion from each meeting, and send

the reports to Olovus.”

To ensure that the reports were accurate, the participants were genuine, they had all been given full information, and they were expressing their own opinions, both meetings had to be recorded on audio and the recordings sent to Olovus. Hillingdon Stroke Support Group was pleased to be told that everything was correct, and our members’ opinions would be taken into account. 

One of the biggest concerns about the proposal was expressed by a family member:

“I know that Mount Vernon wouldn’t move until the new Centre was built at Watford,

but I am sure it will go ahead. My biggest worry is getting to Watford - it will be much

more expensive to go by taxi. At the moment we can get to Northwood on two buses.” 

In total, 21 members or family members attended the meetings. Afterwards, they were asked for their impressions of the process. Their answers:

- “I liked the way it was done - clear, and everyone said what they think.”

- “I was nervous, I’ve never done anything like this before. But now I’ve done it, I’m

glad I came. I won’t be scared of doing something like this again.”

- “I thought it would be too much to take in. But it was bit by bit. I can do that.”

Would the Group join in with other consultation exercises in future? Well, we already have! The NHS was overwhelmed with responses from the first round of discussions that expressed concern about travelling to Watford. They have now devised an online questionnaire specifically for patients who have been treated for cancer at Mount Vernon, or who are currently receiving treatment there.

The Group’s volunteers are already working with those members, helping them to answer the new questions online.

We just wonder what our next challenge will be!