Our outreach service now
Since 2013, The Christie has been developing a SACT (systemic anti-cancer therapy) outreach services. SACT is treatments for cancer that uses medication and includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, bisphosphonates and hormone treatment.
Our SACT outreach service means we can provide SACT treatments in hospital sites, hospices and primary care centres across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
On top of our SACT outreach service, The Christie now has 10 local blood testing clinics, thanks to supporters like you. These clinics mean that instead of patients coming to our Withington site for routine blood tests, they can now attend a Christie blood clinic in their local area.
Care closer to home like this means less stress for cancer patients when they’re dealing with effects of their treatment. These are patients like Bernadette, who now visits The Christie’s local blood clinic in Altrincham for regular blood tests. Read Bernadette’s story and see how this gives her more time and freedom to enjoy her life.
How you could help bring blood testing closer to patients
Cancer patients receiving SACT treatments need a blood test before treatment. This is to check their blood levels, how their organs are functioning and protein levels, which can also act as markers for how treatment is responding.
Thanks to Christie Charity supporters, some of our patients are now able to access local blood clinics closer to their homes through The Christie’s Bloods Closer to Home service. This makes a massive difference if they live on the outskirts of The Christie catchment area or are already receiving treatment at a local site.
With your support, the next phase of The Christie’s Bloods Closer to Home service will continue to put patients at its heart. You will help us reach out to more patients, and continue to adjust and adapt to their needs.
Currently, some of the clinics aren’t open every day, and some other clinics are very busy. If there’s not enough capacity in one of the local bloods clinics, some patients still have to travel to the Withington site for their blood tests.
But with your help, we’re hoping to extend our hours and offer more appointments throughout the day.
Thanks to supporters like you, the service is thriving, with lots of positive feedback for the clinics that are currently open. The teams in the local clinics have been able to really responsive to patient needs and make a big difference to their care.
Our plans for the blood clinics
We already have the skills, knowledge and support network in place to make The Christie’s Bloods Closer to Home service work for even more patients. But we need your help today to help us move the service to the next level.
Our aim is to grow capacity in all clinics, so we can offer blood tests every day. We could offer patients more appointment slots on our online booking system, so they can plan their tests around everyday commitments like school pick-ups, other caring responsibilities or work.
To help further develop our services, we will also need more Christie-trained healthcare assistants and specialist equipment, such as blood testing chairs.
Our local Bloods Closer to Home clinics are more convenient for patients, saving them from long journeys and helping them juggle family or work commitments. It may seem simple, but the impact on patients and their families is huge.
With your support, we could make this service provide even more local support for more patients and make all the difference for their care.
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