By Matthew McKenzie – Facilitator of Cancer Caregiver group
Welcome to the October update from my National Cancer Caregiver Forum, reflecting on our meeting held on 30 September.
I chair this forum to help bring greater attention to the experiences of people supporting someone living with cancer. Cancer care can involve a whirlwind of appointments, investigations, treatment decisions and changes at home. Behind all of this, family members, partners and friends often provide considerable practical and emotional support.
By Matthew McKenzie – Chair, National Ethnic Mental Health Carers Forum
The August meeting of the National Ethnic Mental Health Carer Forum brought together unpaid carers, NHS leaders, healthcare professionals, academic researchers, and voluntary sector advocates from across the country. The session provided a vital space to address race equity, systemic racism, lived experience, and ongoing research into minoritised caring experiences.
Matthew McKenzie opened the meeting by welcoming attendees and reinforcing the core purpose of the national forum. He reflected on how the platform has grown into a crucial space where family carers can directly challenge health structures, influence decision-makers, and learn about national policy developments such as the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF). Matthew acknowledged that while discussions around institutional racism and health inequalities can be heavy and emotional, the forum remains a safe, respectful, and healing space dedicated to driving real, actionable change across the NHS.
By Matthew McKenzie – Facilitator of Cancer Caregiver group
It has been a long while since I published a full update from my National Cancer Caregiver Forum. Although I have continued working to raise awareness of unpaid cancer caregiving, this latest meeting reminded me why the forum remains so necessary.
The National Cancer Caregiver Forum provides an online space for people caring for someone affected by cancer, former carers, researchers and organisations interested in improving support. It combines peer support with engagement, research and opportunities to influence cancer services.
Why cancer caregivers still need a voice
I opened the forum by reflecting on the shortage of dedicated groups for unpaid cancer carers. There are many services and support groups for people receiving cancer treatment, as there should be, but far fewer spaces focused specifically on the partners, relatives and friends supporting them.
I am pleased to share a research opportunity from Lara Pope, a Doctoral Clinical Psychology student at the University of Hertfordshire, who is looking to hear from partners of people who have experienced gynaecological cancer.
As someone who campaigns for greater recognition of unpaid carers and those supporting someone affected by cancer, I know that the experiences of partners can sometimes become overshadowed by the understandable focus on the person receiving treatment.
Yet partners can experience considerable emotional, practical and relationship changes of their own.
About the research
“Exploring partners’ experience of gynaecological cancer: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.”
The research aims to better understand what it is like to be the partner of someone who has experienced gynaecological cancer, including how partners navigate their own needs, relationships, identity and intimacy.
Lara is particularly keen for the research to reach people whose voices can sometimes be less visible in research, including male partners, people from Global Majority communities and LGBTQ+ communities.
Who can take part?
You may be eligible if you:
Are aged 18 or over
Live in the UK
Speak English
Are the partner of someone diagnosed with gynaecological cancer at least 12 months ago
There are some additional eligibility considerations which Lara can discuss with anyone interested in participating.
What does taking part involve?
Participants will take part in an online semi-structured interview, providing an opportunity to talk about their experiences and perspectives as a partner.
The interview will last approximately 45–90 minutes.
Participants can choose either a £20 Love2Shop voucher or have £20 donated to one of three selected cancer charities in recognition of their participation.
The importance of the research
Cancer does not only affect the person receiving the diagnosis.
Partners may find themselves providing emotional support, attending appointments, managing additional responsibilities and trying to support the person they love while also dealing with their own fears and emotions.
Research that listens directly to partners can help improve understanding of these experiences and potentially inform recommendations for services, professionals and organisations supporting families affected by cancer.
Interested in taking part?
Please see the research recruitment poster accompanying this article, including the QR code for further information.
You can also contact the researcher directly:
Lara Pope Doctoral Clinical Psychology Student University of Hertfordshire Email: lp24abe@herts.ac.uk
