A health creating approach to improving breast cancer outcomes in women of Bangladeshi origin of descent in Tower Hamlets

Working via The Health Creation Alliance and with the Limehouse Project. I facilitated a workshop attended by the project sponsor Novartis and 20 individuals representing the NHS, VCFSE sector, local communities and breast cancer survivors and their carers/family members, the ´Good to Great´ appreciative enquiry workshop provided an opportunity for all participants to explore, identify and prioritise the attributes of a ´Great´  programme that can enhance post breast cancer treatment support for the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets, and how Tower Hamlets was currently delivering against this.

Six of the priority areas that scored lower on current delivery were then explored further and two programmes were identified for initial focus that could improve post treatment support and health and wellbeing outcomes:

·       Creation of a single resource for dissemination to all those that may have contact with breast cancer survivors, their carers or family members. The resource will enable them  to provide individuals with cultural and gender specific information, and to signpost them to established services, support and events.

·       Peer to peer education – delivered in the community by breast cancer survivors, their carers or family members.

Potential leads for working up these programmes, seeking funding for them and their delivery were identified at the workshop. These will be the subject of further discussion and refinement following which it is hoped the activities will be actioned