On 18th September, OUTpatients joined the East of England Cancer Alliance for their Summit at Newmarket Racecourse. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear about the vital work being done to improve cancer services across the East of England, and connect with both old friends and new faces!

The event aimed to look towards the future and consider key strategic priorities for the East of England Cancer Strategy for the next 12 to 18 months. We were invited to share our knowledge of best practice for LGBTIQ+ people affected by cancer, and build new relationships with healthcare professionals and sector organisations working to improve cancer care for all.

We were particularly excited to see a session on “Understanding Co-production”, which is a key approach we use as a charity. We believe that services and information should be informed by the lives experiences of people affected by cancer, and always make sure to involve our community in our work. It was therefore fantastic to see the Alliance champion co-production to such a wide audience, and we hope that this will inform many fruitful projects in future! 

We also enjoyed meeting a wide range of healthcare professionals and sector organisations to hear more about their work and explore avenues for collaboration. Some highlights were hearing about the vital work being done to support children, teengagers, and young adults in the region, and an impromptu crash course in how AI can support the analysis of cancer cells! 

It was wonderful to have so many thoughtful and engaged conversations as people visited our stall, and our inclusive campaigns and materials were a big hit with attendees. We are excited to expand and continue our work across the region and are looking forward to running some education sessions in the near future. 

If you would like OUTpatients to join your event, please reach out to us at [email protected].