South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth hosted an exhibition on Maggie’s Centres in the Scottish Parliament last week.
The exhibition provided Maggie’s with the opportunity to meet with MSPs and update them on the great work they carry out.
Maggie’s Centres were created to help cancer patients during and after their treatment. There are over twenty Maggie’s Centres based at major NHS cancer units and abroad. NHS Dumfries and Galloway and Maggie’s are currently in discussions to develop a centre on the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary site at a cost of between £3.5m to £5m. The current proposals is focused on the provision of non-acute support to adult cancer patients and would operate 9-5 weekdays, although agreement has not been reached with either NHS Dumfries and Galloway or the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership.
Colin Smyth said, “I was delighted to be able to host Maggie’s for an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament. Maggie’s Centre provide unique and invaluable support for cancer patients and their families. Dumfries was the home of Maggie Jencks, the co-founder of Maggie’s Centre’s with her husband Charles Jencks. It would be wonderful if we could see a Maggie’s Centre in Dumfries. I know there is currently disagreement from the local NHS and Health and Social Care Partnership over the model being proposed by Maggie’s for Dumfries. But I hope the differences that exist can be resolved and we see a Centre developed that meets the needs of the people of Dumfries and Galloway”
More information on Maggie’s Centres can be found here; https://www.maggiescentres.org/
