Press Release

29th May 2009

Caring for the Cancer Carers

Carers at St John's Hospice, London, have recently taken part in a unique project which revealed the importance and positive benefits of exercise, for managing stress in their daily lives.

Carolyn Garritt, Deputy Director of the West London Cancer Network said:
'The overall goal of the programme was to improve and promote wellness for the carers and staff and add extra quality of life to the cancer patients, despite their condition, by putting in place new health and well-being strategies. The Healthpod equipment allows you to take before and after readings so this enabled us to quantify the results. These have been extremely positive.'

Simon Shepard, Head of Therapies at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth and founder of the Healthpod explains how the testing worked:

'We first had to establish how individuals were coping. The testing is simple to carry out but it is the data we receive that is crucial.  We are able to understand what is happening to an individual minute by minute, even through sleep.

'This personalised physiological assessment can measure physical activity, stress and importantly the recovery that an individual is getting from daily activity. Highly motivational reports are produced which show how the individual is coping with his or her life.

'The results are then discussed with a member of the specialist Healthpod team and a personal health plan is developed. The Healthpod advise on strategies and also run activities, supporting participants as they embark on their programme and monitoring their progress.'

Lana Wallace, a full time carer, has been working on improving her lifestyle. She said:

"As a carer I work long hours and rarely have time off so as a result it is very difficult to pursue an active lifestyle. Going for my assessment at the Healthpod made me more aware of the state of my health and motivated me to become more healthy. I wanted to attend the walking group and the exercise circuit group but I could only attend these on my day off which wasn't always possible. Since going to the Healthpod I have been exercising every day on my own at my local park and I feel so much better for it. I have much more energy than I did before and I am sleeping so much better. I am enjoying my exercise time so much and I will keep it up."

END
For press interviews with CAROLYN GARRITT, LANA WALLACE and SIMON SHEPARD and all images, please call Maggie McNerney, Charles Whitney PR on Tel: 0845 004 1040 Mob:07738 478204 or email: maggie@charleswhitney.com

Notes to the editor

About the Healthpod
The Healthpod is a state of the art facility designed to improve health and deal with both the prevention and management of long term conditions such as Type II Diabetes, Stress and Obesity. The Healthpod is the first of its kind in the UK where assessment and intervention strategies centre round the use of Optima-life's much acclaimed Firstbeat HEALTH software. The Healthpod is based at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, St John's Wood, London.

About St John's Hospice
St John's Hospice is the only independent hospice in Central London. It has partnerships with eight local Primary Care Trusts, and its services cover a vast geographical area from Ealing in he west, to the City in the east, from the Thames in the south, to the M25 in the north. Its holistic approach to treatment and care allows patients to take control of their lives and learn to manage their illnesses. Focusing on their medical, emotional and spiritual needs, the 19-bed inpatient unit, day services centre and community team provide care, support and advice to over 600 people every year.

About West London Cancer Network
West London is one of 30 Cancer Networks in the country and the largest of five in London. Our core purpose is to deliver improvements in cancer and palliative
care for patients and their carers working to a national 10-year plan. Our work is challenging, complex and extends across a broad range of activities.

Our aim is to ensure that the Network:

• is focused on achieving outcomes for the benefit of patients
• is receptive to the needs of health providers
• can provide commissioners with the relevant information
• is adaptive to a fast changing environment
• consistently demonstrates high levels of team-work

Some examples of how we aim to achieve are:

• reorganising services to comply with national guidance on improved clinical outcomes
• facilitating the redesign of services and patient pathways to reduce waiting times and improve the patient experience
• supporting the development of cancer and palliative clinical teams
• monitoring and improving performance
• supporting commissioners to ensure they meet national targets

The Network brings together all the lead cancer and palliative care clinicians, nurse specialists, managers, commissioners and users in the sector. These are the
people who plan, improve, organise and deliver cancer and palliative care across the whole patient pathway. The patient pathway is the route map of care for each
individual patient, involving both local and specialist cancer clinical teams. This network of professionals operates as a complex 'virtual organisation' of committed
individuals and teams, working in partnership to ensure the best possible care is delivered in a timely manner to patients when they need it.
http://www.wlcn.nhs.uk/portal/index.asp

About Simon Shepard
A Chartered Physiotherapist by training, Simon is Head of Therapies at St John + St Elizabeth Hospital, London. He has managed the therapy input at the hospital for the last 6 years. He has also worked in professional sport since 1991, primarily with Middlesex CCC and The MCC and has also supplied therapy for The London Towers basketball team, The All England Badminton Championships and television shows such as World's Strongest Man, Superstars and Gladiators. In 1992 Simon started Chancery Lane Physiotherapy (now known as Central Health) and has seen the facility grow into a leading clinic in The City of London.

About Optima Life's Ground- breaking Software
The Firstbeat HEALTH software from Optima-life is designed to help individuals, organisations and health care professionals understand more about health and how lifestyle changes can give significant health benefits. The software interprets an individual's data and translates the readings into objective reports relating to exercise, physical workload, stress and recovery. Reports can also be produced that assess energy expenditure, assist with weight management and look at the risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes. Most people not only want to add years to life but will want to add life to years. Firstbeat HEALTH is a tool that can help everyone achieve more in the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.
www.optima-life.com