AN ANDOVER veteran and former broadcaster who recently overcame a cancer battle is trying to set up a support group for people who are going through a similar journey with the illness.
George Bacon, 72, a Member of the British Empire (MBE) who has served in the RAF, decided to take the initiative after finding that there weren’t enough cancer support groups based in Andover.
Having experienced the struggles, the 72-year-old said there isn't enough signposting to cancer charities that offer help locally.
Mr Bacon, who overcame prostate cancer recently, said the journey affected him physically and mentally, but he struggled to get the right support after treatment.
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"When I went to seek help, I wanted to meet other people with my condition and talk to them about it," he said.
"I was told there is a great group in Basingstoke or there is a great group in Southampton. But I live in Andover and don’t want to drive 25 miles or thereabout to go and talk to somebody.
"About three weeks ago, I was talking to a specialist prostate nurse and she said there are an 'awful lot of people in Andover' who are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
"I was surprised to hear that and I wanted to find out the reason, and if it's true I wanted to help set up a support group in Andover."
Mr Bacon has since been contacting various cancer charities and NHS trusts to find out the numbers, but it was often difficult to get a full picture due to GDPR reasons.
All he could find, from statistics, was that there is a high instance of lung and bowel cancer in deprived areas, and a high instance of breast and prostate cancer in well-off areas across the UK.
Only 10 per cent of Andover is regarded as a deprived area, which means it is likely that Andover could have a high rate of prostate and breast cancers.
He is now hoping to help guide these people to the best charities that provide after-treatment support and also form a group so that they can share their experiences.
He said: "One good thing about prostate cancer is you get rid of your cancer straight away as you cut it out. But the lingering after-effect of having done that treatment goes for a very long time and some of them are for life. This includes impotence and incontinence.
"It takes a long time to come to terms with that, particularly if you are a very active person."
Mr Bacon said the main problem with NHS is there isn't proper after-treatment support or signposting.
"They don’t have the opportunity to mentor you properly," he said.
"There is a lack of process to give people the direction of help. I think there needs to be greater visibility for the Andover.
"Wessex Cancer Support currently hosts a cancer support drop-in session every Tuesday from 10am–1pm at the Andover Health Hub. But hardly anyone knows about it. Neither the charity knows the details of the cancer patients in the area because of GDPR reasons."
Mr Bacon has now set up a communication point for people to get in touch with him if they want to join the support group.
He said: "I'm not an expert. I can only talk about my journey. But I can guide them to the charity that offers support in Andover. We could also share our journeys by talking to each other."
He is hoping the support group could meet at the Andover Health Hub in Chantry Centre occasionally and share their experiences.
Mr Bacon said the NHS should also take a lead in directing the people to the charity as soon as they send the letter of diagnosis.
"When the NHS gives you a diagnosis, on the bottom of the official letter, they should say you may wish to contact the following place to discuss how other people who overcome cancer wen through the process," he added.
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If you would like to get in touch with Mr Bacon, write to TestValleyProstateBuddies@gmail.com
Clare Whalley, Deputy Hampshire Place director at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said: “The Andover Health Hub hosts a number of different community events throughout the week and we are happy to support further groups who would like to use this space to meet.
“We are working with our local partners to increase the range of services that are offered at the hub and continue to work with the local community and those using the health hub so it supports those who need it the most.”
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