Fostering innovation in the hospital
At The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, we know that The Royal Marsden staff who care and treat for patients each day have the greatest insights into how services are delivered and where improvements can be made.
The Charity therefore launched The Innovation Den, a yearly Dragon’s Den-style initiative where staff are encouraged to put forward and implement novel ideas to help improve the patient experience. Following an initial application, shortlisted entries are then presented to a panel of experts who decide which project should receive a grant from the Charity. One of these was the THRIVE project, an initiative in collaboration with The Exercise Clinic®, a company that works with clinicians to provide cancer patients with personalised exercise programmes.
Beyond standard care
Designed to address the unmet physical needs of prostate cancer patients, THRIVE is a multi-team, cross discipline project which goes above and beyond the standard of care for patients. The project offers a triage by a physiotherapist or doctor, a consultation with a clinical exercise specialist, group exercise sessions, a personalised care plan and access to The Exercise Clinic’s app and its exercise monitoring and support platform. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has been successfully delivered virtually to patients, to ensure they were still receiving the benefits even when unable to attend face to face appointments.
There is growing evidence which supports the key role of exercise in cancer therapy and this project is aiming to ease the side effects of treatment for up to 300 prostate cancer patients and improve their quality of life with its personalised six stage exercise programme.
Following a successful first year which saw hundreds of prostate cancer patients referred to the THRIVE programme, now a generous donation from the UK’s leading health solutions company Simplyhealth will help to fund this innovative project in its second year. This support will benefit patients like David.
David's story
David Gullen (pictured) 64, has been receiving treatment at The Royal Marsden since he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 and is currently enrolled on the THRIVE programme.
He said:
When you’re ill with cancer, everything is done for you with regards to treatment but to have something active and positive that you can take part in yourself to keep well and strong makes a huge difference.
Being part of the THRIVE programme and being able to contribute to my own health has definitely improved my quality of life. Keeping active is helping to control the fatigue and combat the side effects of my hormone treatment; in some ways I think I’m stronger now than I have felt in years thanks to the support and encouragement of the THRIVE team.
Partnering with Simplyhealth
Antonia Dalmahoy, Managing Director of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity said:
“On behalf of the Charity I’d like to say a huge thank you to Simplyhealth for their generous donation. We’re delighted that they have decided to support us in funding this innovative project which we’re particularly proud of as the idea was created entirely by staff at The Royal Marsden. The support from Simplyhealth will make a real difference to the lives of people affected by cancer and will directly benefit hundreds of patients undergoing prostate cancer treatment at the hospital.”
Dr Sneh Khemka, Chief Executive Officer at Simplyhealth said:
“Simplyhealth exists to improve access to healthcare for people in the UK and our donation to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity aligns with this purpose. We’re proud to be supporting the incredible work of the Prostate Cancer Exercise Clinic and our donation is recognition of The Royal Marsden’s holistic and innovative approach to healthcare which will help hundreds of prostate cancer patients better manage their everyday health, improve their quality of life and lead to better health outcomes.”
Read more about our current partners and how your company can work with us to support people affected by cancer.