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ÃÛÌÒAPP > Services > Cancer services and support > Cancer prehabilitation > Prehabilitation team

Prehabilitation team

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The prehabilitation team see patients who are planned for surgery within the following cancer groups.

  • Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) – liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts
  • Lung
  • Colorectal.

If you haven’t been referred to the prehabilitation team and think you would be eligible, please speak to your team.

We know that by improving your health prior to surgery, it can help make you post operative journey a little easier.

Important advice:

Benefits of prehabilitation

  • Can help you prepare mentally
  • Help increase your physical fitness
  • Can reduce hospital length of stay
  • Can help reduce post operative complications
  • Improves fitness
  • Improves nutritional health
  • Opportunity to stop smoking and reduce alcohol consumption
  • Help you stay independent and keep doing the things that are important to you.

What to expect from the prehabilitation team

Once we have received a referral, we will aim to contact you within 48 hours (working days), we will call you to book in an appointment with one of our team.

We offer our appointments face to face at both the Freeman Hospital and RVI sites but can offer video call or phone call if needed.

Your first appointment will last around an hour, we will ask you about your current treatment, any other medical problems, exercise history and ask you to complete some small physical tests.

By the end of the appointment, you will have a full plan with regards to your exercise, and if needed we can refer you on to a dietitian, and signpost you to any other services that would be beneficial for you. 

Depending on your needs your follow up will either be as a 1:1 appointment at the hospital, video/phone call or group sessions at a local leisure facility.

You will continue with us until you come into hospital for surgery or 6 weeks, whichever comes first.

Around 6 weeks after your surgery we will call you to discuss ways you can start to become active again and provide you with some support to do so.  

Meet the team

  • Gemma Kindness – Cancer Prehabilitation Project Manager
  • Rachel Gibson – Advanced Physiotherapist
  • Alison Leyden – Associate Physiotherapy Practitioner

[email protected]

We work 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday. We do not work public holidays.

FAQs

Will taking part delay my treatment?

No, we work within the time we have to improve your health and wellbeing, changes can be seen in as little as 2 weeks.

Do I have to take part?

No, it is your choice if you want to take part in the programme, you can stop at any time. However, for the best results we encourage you to stay motivated and take part in the full programme.