Region's only short cancer care course launches

A region's only short-term, face-to-face cancer care course will launch in September.

The University of Sunderland's Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) course is designed for nursing staff and has been developed with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

There have been five applications already, with up to 20 places available in the first cohort.

The eight-week programme will begin in September.

The university said it was the only short-term, face-to-face SACT course in the North East.

Students will be taught about drug-based cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy.

These treatments are designed to target and kill cancer cells throughout the body, rather than just one specific location.

Programme leader Karen Humphreys, said the new course was "crucial" in helping develop and expand the skills of nurses who were already providing systemic anti-cancer treatment to patients.

Rachel Boyd, SACT clinical educator at the trust, who helped develop the programme, said it would boost the care patients received.

"This will enhance patient safety as well as the nursing care patients receive throughout their cancer journey, a time when they will face complex treatments and regimes," Ms Boyd said.

"It also means there will be further career opportunities within the cancer workforce, which is a growing part of our organisation."

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