Age UK Enfield and Macmillan each open support hubs for patients at North Middlesex Hospital

Two support centres for patients and visitors at North Middlesex Hospital have been opened to help provide information and advice about healthcare and other services.

A new community advice hub was officially launched at the Edmonton hospital last month, in conjunction with charity Age UK Enfield, to support patients and their families or carers with general advice and information on a wide range of issues. These include registering with a GP or accessible transport, applying for benefits, housing or debt issues, accessing support for health conditions, or finding out about health and wellbeing activities in the community.

In addition, cancer charity Macmillan has just reopened its own information and support centre at North Mid, after being closed for nearly two years during the pandemic. It offers a wide range of information relating to all cancers, their treatments and effects. The manager and staff can also signpost people to local support groups, explain how to access complementary therapies, and advise on issues such as work and travel insurance.

Age UK Enfield had been working with partners across Enfield and Haringey on the creation of its North Mid advice hub. Groups involved in getting it up and running include Haringey Connected Communities, Enfield Connections, Citizens Advice Enfield and Enfield Carers Centre.

Alison Gordon, head of prevention services at Age UK Enfield, said: ‘The community advice hub is a fantastic way for us to reach out to the community, to meet people who may not be aware of the services that we offer.

“Our partnership with North Middlesex Hospital will help us to connect with patients and their families, as well as health professionals who may wish to refer people to our services. It’s a great example of a range of organisations working together, with the support of Enfield and Haringey commissioners, to provide the best holistic service for people attending the hospital.”

On the reopening of the Macmillan support centre at North Mid, manager and cancer specialist May Estiva said: “I’m really looking forward to welcoming back members of our community who have questions about cancer – you can talk in confidence to me or the team here in a relaxed and informal environment.

“At Macmillan, your worries are our worries and we will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can.”

In the year before it closed, the Macmillan service at North Mid had more than 3,500 contacts, supporting 1,800 people living with cancer and their carers. Dr Nnenna Osuji, chief executive of North Mid, said: “It’s vital that patients who are living with cancer know the support available to them, so we are really pleased to reopen the Macmillan support pod in the heart of our atrium.

“Our local communities look to North Mid to provide them with excellent care and we know that we can make that experience better when we work in partnership with other expert organisations like Macmillan.”

Age UK Enfield’s community advice hub is open 10am-4pm, Monday to Thursday, and 10am-2pm on Fridays, and can be found next to Costa Coffee on the ground floor of the main hospital building. For more information:
Call 07971 353 607
Email connectedcommunities@haringey.gov.uk

The Macmillan support centre is open 10-4pm, Monday-Friday, and can be found on the ground flour of the main atrium. For more information:
Call 0208 887 3992
Email northmid.cancerinfo@nhs.net

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