Justin Webb, senior lecturer in Health and Social Care, is taking part in a series of national discussions to improve and develop cancer interventions and resources.
Date: 10 April 2018
Justin Webb, senior lecturer in Health and Social Care BSc, recently joined other nationally recognised experts on a specialist panel exploring new ways of influencing healthcare professionals across England to advocate a physically active lifestyle to cancer survivors as part of the Moving Medicine project
Organised by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK, the governing body for Sport and Exercise Medicine, the Moving Medicine project invites leading experts from around the UK to discuss and produce a series of physical activity resources for cancer care clinicians to use with patients. It is run in partnership with Public Health England.
Justin was asked to join the 18-person panel following the success of his recently-launched toolkit helping cancer survivors to become more active following treatment which he developed while Physical Activity Engagement Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support.
“Physical activity has multiple benefits for cancer survivors including reducing cancer related fatigue, improving quality of life, and for some cancer, slowing disease progression and increasing survival,” Justin said.
“However, a recent large scale cross-sectional study indicated that only 31% of cancer survivors recall receiving advice on becoming or staying active. Furthermore, only 23% of cancer survivors are active to recommended levels and 41% have very low levels of activity.
“Providing healthcare professionals with the training and resources to provide this advice and signpost on for more support is vital in bringing about change. I am delighted to be involved in this project lead by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine to hopefully achieve this change.”
Other experts who sat on the panel included Professor Robert Thomas MD, Consultant Oncologist at Cambridge University hospitals; Dr Clare Stevinson, senior lecturer in behavioural aspects of physical activity at Loughborough University; Dr Helen Crank, Principal Research Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University and Jenna Stockwell, Behaviour Change Lead at the British Lung Foundation.
Justin will be attending several meetings in the coming months to discuss the development of the resources and interventions.
