|
Health
Masons back vital training
Crucial training for bowel cancer has been boosted by a major grant from The Grand Charity, says Tara MacDowel
| |
|
In 1999 Beating Bowel Cancer, a national
charity working to raise awareness of
symptoms, promote early diagnosis and
encourage open access to treatment
choice for those affected by bowel cancer,
was awarded a generous grant from the
Freemasons’ Grand Charity as part of
its millennium grants to initiate an
endoscopy training programme
for medics.
Research by Roger Leicester, colorectal
specialist at St George’s Hospital, London
found that, in an audit of regional
colonoscopy procedures, 30% of medical
professionals were self-taught, and less than
40% had attended any form of training course.
The audit raised concerns regarding the
completeness of examination for bowel
cancer and the possibility that, due to lack of
uniformly-trained medical professionals,
many cancer cases could be going undetected.
In recognition of this shortage of trained
personnel, Beating Bowel Cancer used the
Freemasons’ grant to help to fund the
Endoscopy Training Programme, which
was originally initiated by Mr Leicester and
the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy.
Based at the Raven Department of
Education at the Royal College of Surgeons,
the programme aimed to establish regional
training centres to improve the quality and
safety of endoscopic (colonoscopy) practice.
This five-year programme is now almost
completed and Beating Bowel Cancer has
helped fund 10 training centres for endoscopy
procedures across the UK. The training
programme, which has been open to
consultants, surgeons, nurses and GPs,
has provided much needed expertise
on endoscopy procedures used to detect
bowel cancer.
In February 2003, the government
emphasised its commitment to saving lives
from bowel cancer through introducing a
national screening programme, which is to
be taken forward by a new NHS Bowel
Cancer Programme.
Part of this programme includes addressing
workforce and training requirements, which
will need to be tackled ahead of any national
screening programme being launched.
Beating Bowel Cancer is delighted that the
training centres are now to be used as the
benchmark for the government who are
expanding the programme as part of their
Bowel Cancer Programme.
Bowel cancer is the second biggest killer
cancer in this country, and 35,600 people are
diagnosed with the disease each year, and
sadly almost half will die as a result. That is
46 people dying every day – men and
women, young and old.
Yet the comforting news is that bowel
cancer is one of the most curable cancers if
caught early enough. Over 90% of cases of
bowel cancer could be completely cured if it
is diagnosed in time and treated. The grant
the Freemasons awarded Beating Bowel
Cancer has helped in our aim to save lives
from this common is cancer – but we have
much work still to do.
The charity relies almost entirely upon
donations and the hard work of fundraisers
throughout the country. Events such as
Loud Tie, an annual campaign that
encourages people to wear wild and wacky
ties whilst having fun for a good cause, help
to raise awareness and funds for the charity.
Current projects such as publishing new
and updated patient information, working
with GPs to ensure they have all the latest
information on symptoms and diagnosis, and
other important bowel cancer initiatives all
need funds. We continue to strive to achieve
our objectives – and ultimately to prevent
thousands of lives being needlessly lost every
year from this terrible disease.
For further information about the charity,
and fundraising events and campaigns, visit
www.beatingbowelcancer.org.
To contact Beating Bowel Cancer, or make
a donation, write to:
Beating Bowel Cancer,
39 Crown Road,
Twickenham, TW1 3EJ
T. 020 8892 5256 Fax 020 8892 1008.
Email info@beatingbowelcancer.org.
Tara MacDowel is Head of Communications
at Beating Bowel Cancer
|
|
Next Page
