CLARE Fox is charged with improving vital cancer services for Bolton's ethnic community and "socially disadvantaged" people who are missing out.

And she is currently working on a special scheme to make cancer services friendly to everyone.

Opportunities

Research carried out by the Community Healthcare Bolton NHS Trust has shown that people living in certain parts of Bolton are finding it difficult to access services that help patients cope with their cancer illness.

Mrs Fox will be heading up the new Cancer Pathways, funded by the New Opportunities Fund.

She explained: " When we talk about palliative care, we talk about a wide range of things.

"It's about assessing what the patient and the carers' physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs are, and ensuring the services we provide are sympathetic to those needs. Patients for example will be asked how they want information -- either in a leaflet or tape format."

Mrs Fox will be bringing together other groups such as the hospice, voluntary and professional health partners to offer a better service to those who need it most.

Surveys carried out by the Trust show a vast majority of patients want services to be home based.

This area will be strengthened, the Trust promises, but first the pathways team will be going out into the community to talk to Bolton people about their needs.

Mrs Fox added: "This project is very much about improving the care services available not only to patients but carers and families too, to tailor services to meet specified needs and to ensure that the services we provide reflect the cultural and social needs of the people we care for." LEADING THE WAY: Clare Fox heads up new cancer group Ref: J3091/17