Overview
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a new mobile application aimed at providing essential support and guidance for cancer patients and their families. The app was launched on 25 June 2025.
Key Features of the App
- Access to physical and mental wellbeing resources.
- Information on local and national charities and support groups.
- Guidance regarding the financial aspects of cancer treatment.
- Details about Northumbria Healthcare’s cancer prehabilitation services.
Patient-Centric Development
Mel Freedman, the Macmillan personalised cancer lead at Northumbria Healthcare, emphasized the importance of patient feedback in the app’s development:
“Our cancer webpage has been accessed thousands of times in the past year, but we wanted to make it even easier and quicker for people to get the support they need. We asked patients what matters to them to create our new app and involved them in co-designing it. What we’ve come up with is a bitesize version of the website.”
Support from Bright Northumbria Healthcare Charity
The app was developed with assistance from Bright Northumbria Healthcare Charity. Rob Graham, head of the charity, expressed his support for the initiative:
“We were impressed by the team’s commitment to helping patients live with and beyond cancer, so we were very happy to support this project. We hope that the app can help patients and their families going through difficult times by providing them with easy access to the support, guidance, and advice they may need.”
Availability
The app is available for free download on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Users can find it by downloading the Healthzone UK app and searching for ‘Northumbria cancer.’
Future Developments
In March 2025, Northumbria Healthcare announced its acquisition of Health Call Solutions Limited to enhance its software offerings and improve patient care. This acquisition aims to:
- Better manage healthcare data.
- Facilitate easier appointment management for NHS patients.
- Deliver care remotely to homes and communities.
This initiative is part of Northumbria Healthcare’s ongoing digital strategy to enhance service delivery for both clinical staff and the public.