Over 1,000 Allied Health Professionals (AHP) in Greater Manchester are to benefit from additional training to better support those living with cancer.
GMCA has awarded £1.2 million to the University of Salford to deliver the Allies in Cancer Care training programme as part of the Skills for Growth scheme.
The training programme will be delivered by the University of Salford, in collaboration with The Christie School of Oncology, and supported by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance with the aim of providing a greater understanding of what it means to support someone living with cancer and equip them with the skills needed to provide better patient care. A demand for additional training for working with patients with cancer was identified in a survey last year of AHPs in the North-west.
Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Greater Manchester’s Lead for Education, Work, Skills, Apprenticeships and Digital, said:
“Everyone deserves high-quality health care and that begins with accessible and affordable training for healthcare professionals. Supporting our health workforce is one of our highest priorities. Our communities have been telling us about how crucial good social healthcare is. We recognised the challenge and acted on it by launching this training opportunity aimed at developing the skills this sector needs to reach its potential.”
Professor Richard Fuller, Director of Christie Education and Honorary Consultant Stroke Physician, said:
“One in two of us will get cancer at some point in our lives, so it’s essential that all healthcare professionals are supported through excellence in education to provide outstanding patient care. Christie Education, a world-class teaching centre, is here to do just that by learning from, and with, patients and professionals. We’re delighted to be working with The University of Salford to deliver this training to Allied Health Professionals across Greater Manchester.”
Suzanne Lilley, Programme Director for Workforce and Education, Greater Manchester Cancer Academy, said:
“We were thrilled when the GMCA agreed to support such an important training programme, enabling us to give something back to those who took time out to take part in the survey. If we want our cancer patients to receive quality integrated care, then it is in our interest to make sure cancer is everybody’s business. We want to ensure all healthcare professionals, whether in generalist or specialist roles, have the opportunity to develop their skills and cancer knowledge, a principle at the heart of the Greater Manchester Cancer Academy. This programme will help to achieve this one cancer workforce ambition.”
Professor Margaret Rowe, Dean, School of Health and Society, University of Salford, said:
“As the largest provider of Allied Health Professions undergraduate education in the North West, and a close partner of the NHS and other health and social care providers, we are delighted to be working with GMCA and the Christie to deliver this training. These skills will empower our AHPs in their vital work to support people who have cancer and their families and carers.”
The 14 Allied Health Professions benefiting from the scheme include radiographers, speech therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians and paramedics.
To apply for the training or to learn more, visit the Allies in Cancer Care website.
The Skills for Growth programme is available as a result of GMCA securing funding from the European Social Fund to deliver a three-year programme, working in partnership with businesses and training providers to create new learning opportunities for employed residents in the city-region.
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