New surgery rehab programme for cancer patients

A rehabilitation programme has been launched for cancer patients recovering from upper gastrointestinal, ovarian and bladder surgery.

The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust says its programme provides extra care for patients for 12 weeks.

Rachel Brown, clinical specialist physiotherapist and team lead, said: "Our team has identified a gap in rehabilitation after surgery for cancer patients undergoing higher risk surgeries.

"We found that post-surgery rehabilitation can significantly improve recovery and quality of life."

The service was launched following an 18-month study carried out by the trust's Prime team, which comprises of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and dietitians.

A pilot post-surgery rehabilitation programme was launched where 30 patients were part of the study.

The trust said the research was to explore how far patients deteriorated after surgery and if more intervention was required to make a difference to recovery.

It added patients said the introduction of a structured rehabilitation "significantly improved physical recovery outcomes, enhancing capability, strength, and overall quality of life".

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