The money you raise will help us provide more information to people affected by cancer.
With your help the East of Scotland Fundraising team raises money to pay for Macmillan's services and grants throughout Edinburgh, Fife, Dundee, Angus, Perth and Kinross.
Fife
Macmillan Crossroads Glenrothes funding ends March 2008 and attempts are being made to secure pick up funding to extend this.
Our Children and Families Worker has been funded for a further year. This is a support service for families where there are children whose parents have contracted cancer.
Macmillan has agreed to fund a Macmillan Fife Welfare Benefits Partnership for Citizens Advice and Rights Fife for a period of three years.
Recruitment is currently underway for 2 full time Macmillan Benefits Advisers. There are several potential new developments in the pipeline and these involve a new Macmillan nurse, social worker and a care organiser to look after patients who have terminal cancer.
Dundee
A brand new unit has recently opened at Ninewells Hospital providing treatment for all five health boards from Tayside to the North of Scotland. Macmillan Cancer Support is providing a specialist team to man this unit including a consultant dermatologist, a pathologist, 2 nurses and 2 administrative support staff.
This specialist team will deliver the new Mohs microscopic skin surgery service (MMS) recognised globally as the gold standard treatment in non-melanoma skin cancer. In essence this treatment removes the need for excessive removal of normal healthy tissue with subsequent damage to surrounding structures, or incomplete removal of tumours. It hugely reduces the time spent in hospital and is usually dealt with during a one day outpatient appointment. In the vast majority of cases it also means that patients do not require reconstructive surgery.
Edinburgh
The newly refurbished and extended Macmillan Day Treatment Centre has opened at the Western General Hospital.
This Centre represents half of our £1.2million Appeal and will allow people with cancer to receive their chemotherapy in a much more suitable and comfortable environment. Macmillan understands that the design of a hospital can have an impact on the way to feel and respond to treatment. This is why we have an extensive 'cancer environments' programme, which uses the latest research into 'healing environments' to build specialist centre and units for people with cancer.
Macmillan Cancer Support £3.775 million appeal for Perth Palliative Care Unit
Macmillan Cancer Support has launched an appeal for £3.775 million to fund a specialist palliative care unit for Perth and Kinross. The new facility, scheduled to open in winter 2009, will provide expert care for those with cancer and life limiting illnesses.
The facility will be built at Perth Royal Infirmary and provide both in-patient and day care services. The in-patient service will provide symptom control, rehabilitation and terminal care for up to 10 patients. Every patient will have a separate bedroom and there will also be a self-contained flat where families can sleep. The area will also include a coffee bar, a multi-faith room and a garden.
The first floor of the unit will be devoted to day care and drop in sessions, and will include a hair-dressing salon, a craft room, two therapy rooms and a consultation and treatment room.
Every patient who attends the new facility will be assessed by the palliative care staff. Based on this assessment patients will be able to access services, including symptom control advice, psychological support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition advice and complimentary therapies. Family and friends will also be able to access bereavement support.
If you would like to make a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support's Perth Palliative Care Unit Appeal, organise a fundraising event or request further information, please contact Neil Kennedy, Fundraising Manager for Perth Kinross & Angus, on 01382 226150 or email nkennedy@macmillan.org.uk