A diagnosis of cancer is a life-changing event. It is normal and understandable to feel distressed.
The cancer psychology team can support you and your family with concerns such as:
- Adjusting to the impact of a cancer diagnosis and your treatment
- Dealing with the changes to life circumstances, including work, social life, and relationships
- Anxiety, low mood, anger, phobias and fears of your cancer returning
- Coping with the traumatic aspects of cancer and its treatment
- Adjusting to life after cancer and uncertainty about the future
- Maintaining quality of life during, following and beyond cancer treatment
- Coping with such as pain, fatigue and other side effects as a result of your cancer and/or its treatment
- Adjusting to loss and change in self-esteem, physical functioning and your physical appearance
- Coping with end-of-life issues
- Coping with your feelings about the loss of a loved one
Please note that the cancer psychology team does not offer a bereavement service.
The cancer psychology team offers support for patients and adult, family members across the whole of the cancer journey. Support can be offered to individuals, couples and families. It can be face to face, via video call or telephone call, dependent upon your needs.
The service is based on the Oncology Day Units in Hexham, North Tyneside and Wansbeck hospitals. The team can also see patients on the Palliative Care Units and have limited capacity to see patients on other hospital wards by request.
Please speak to your nursing/medical team if you wish to be referred to the cancer psychology service.
More information and videos of patients explaining how the service has helped them is on the cancer psychology service webpage.