Cancer support team wins award for prison visits
Date of release: 4 April 2025
A cancer team has won a regional award for its “massive” support to 200 prisoners.
Claire Pilsbury, Jo O’Sullivan (holding the award certificate), Deanna Mezen (holding the trophy) and Kelly Ward celebrating their award
The Living With and Beyond Cancer (LWBC) Team at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) won Healthier Futures’ Wolverhampton Team of the Year award.
The team collaborated with cancer support charity Macmillan and HMP Oakwood at Featherstone to improve access to healthcare and information, and improving appointment attendance rates.
It means 2,136 inmates now have access to trained cancer champions among their colleagues, and healthcare information.
Also known as Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS), Healthier Futures brings providers and commissioners of NHS services together with local authorities and other partners to plan and deliver joined-up services to improve people’s lives.
The judges’ shortlisting said: “This is for the collaborative working with HMP Oakwood to reduce inequalities for inmates.
“The team has improved pathways and communication, delivered cancer champion training to inmates, which allows them to support each other and hosted cancer awareness sessions for more than 200 inmates. A massive piece of work that deserves recognition.”
A meeting with Deanna Mezen, Advanced Clinical Nurse Practitioner at Oakwood, to discuss improving raising awareness around men’s cancer sparked the formation of the HMP support group.
Kelly Ward, Cancer Care Navigator at RWT, Kelly Pritchard, Macmillan Cancer Support and Information Manager, Jo O’Sullivan, LWBC Support Manager and Claire Pilsbury, LWBC Navigator and PA, visit the prison monthly.
“To be recognised for our continued support of patients in all areas, without judgment, has been a huge boost for our team,” said Kelly Ward.
“We are proud to support all patients in all settings, so Kelly Pritchard and I jumped at the chance to get involved.
“Due to rules in prison, inmates were unable to have support at appointments surrounding cancer investigation, diagnosis or follow-ups.
“Previously they struggled to access information booklets and information at appointments to take back with them to read and gain understanding of their pathway.
“Monthly support groups for suspected and diagnosed patients were set up, with an average of eight to 10 patients attending, along with Oakwood’s health champions.”
More than 10 cancer champions have been recruited, and feedback has been positive.
“It quickly came to light these gentlemen wanted to be involved, more than just part of the group but to understand cancer further,” added Kelly.
“Along with Lesley Thorpe from the ICS, we decided recruiting champions would be ideal at Oakwood for inmates to continue with care and support for each other.
“Interest in the support groups and raising awareness continues to grow.”
RWT’s care navigators and its referral support team continue to support Oakwood patients at cancer-related appointments.
“We feed back the outcome of appointments and next steps to HMP,” added Kelly Ward. “This allows Oakwood’s healthcare team to support in-house and highlight these patients to the cancer champions.
“Booklets/information regarding cancers signs and symptoms are now available on the wings of Oakwood in the reading areas.”
