Health Secretary visits life-giving cancer exercise treatment service pioneered in Yorkshire

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper MP has seen how a research-backed cancer exercise treatment service pioneered in Yorkshire is transforming treatment and recovery for people with cancer in her constituency and beyond.  

Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, Active Together helps people prepare for and recover from their cancer treatment. The service is underpinned by research that shows exercise before, during and after cancer treatment can improve recovery, increase survival and reduce the risk of cancer returning.  

The MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley visited Active Together Mid Yorkshire at Aspire Health in Pontefract, where she met people with cancer in her constituency who have participated in the service, alongside cancer exercise specialists and the Yorkshire Cancer Research team.   

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary and MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, said: "It was great to join everyone at the Active Together session for cancer patients at Aspire in Pontefract backed by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

The Health Secretary’s visit follows the publication of the Government's National Cancer Plan in February this year, which referenced evidence from the charity-funded Active Together service as an example of best practice and highlighted the importance of prehabilitation and rehabilitation for people with cancer.  

The National Cancer Plan confirmed the Government’s commitment to introduce national standards for prehabilitation and rehabilitation and deliver exercise treatment support offer digitally for all people with cancer before treatment.  

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research, Policy and Impact at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “The Government’s recognition of Active Together in the National Cancer Plan was hugely encouraging, and the charity is pleased the Health Secretary has seen the vital role specialist cancer exercise treatment plays in helping people better respond to cancer treatment and recover afterwards.  

“Despite growing evidence of its benefits, many people with cancer are still unable to access specialist exercise support as part of their treatment. Through Active Together, the charity is working with cancer experts to build the evidence needed to show how personalised exercise treatment, delivered through one-to-one and group sessions, can be embedded within standard cancer treatment and care. 

Yorkshire Cancer Research aims for Active Together to show how exercise should be provided for people with different cancer types and at different stages of their cancer experience.  

Among those Yvette Cooper spoke to was Katy Wilson, who has so far received eight weeks of personalised cancer exercise treatment through the Yorkshire Cancer Research Active Together service in Pontefract.  

Katy, who is 39, discovered she had cancer unexpectedly after being taken to hospital following an accident at work. Not only did the accident cause severe muscle damage down her left side, but further scans also detected a mass on her kidney. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. 

Katy was quickly referred for surgery to remove the tumour and part of her kidney. Four weeks later, her cancer nurse referred her to Active Together Mid Yorkshire to help her physically recover from the operation and access expert psychological and nutritional support.

Katy said: "The physical impact of cancer and the operation was huge. Before my diagnosis and the accident, I regularly walked 15 miles a day through my job in a warehouse. Afterwards, I struggled to walk down the street without getting out of breath. Because the cancer was in my left kidney and I'd also injured my left side in the accident, I lost a lot of strength and mobility and found simple movements such as walking, bending and twisting very difficult. 

Katy continues to attend cancer exercise treatment sessions and receive nutritional and wellbeing support through Active Together, while also attending regular follow-up hospital appointments to monitor her health.  

Having experienced the vital benefits of specialist exercise support, she recommended Active Together to her dad after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer earlier this year. He has since joined the cancer exercise treatment service to help rebuild his strength and fitness following surgery and chemotherapy.

Katy continued: "Cancer has brought huge challenges for our family this year, with both my dad and me facing a cancer diagnosis. I'm so pleased he's now taking part in Active Together and we can experience the huge benefits of exercise together. That's probably the biggest endorsement I can give. Active Together has made such a huge difference to me, both physically and mentally, and now it's helping my dad too." 

Delivered in partnership with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, Wakefield Council Aspire Health and Kirklees Active Leisure, Active Together in Mid Yorkshire is one of nine locations across 32 community sites providing vital exercise, nutrition and wellbeing support to people before, during and after cancer treatment. Since launching, more than 5,000 people across Yorkshire have been supported by Active Together, which was designed by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre.  

During her visit, Yvette Cooper observed a group exercise session led by cancer exercise specialists, Ian Smales and Greg Walker. A former rugby player, Ian now uses his passion for sport to help people with cancer benefit from personalised exercise treatment before, during and after cancer treatment.

Ian said: “By giving people access to personalised exercise support, we are seeing people become stronger, improve their cardiovascular health and cope better with the side effects of treatment.  Many are able to return to everyday activities sooner than they expected and, importantly, leave the programme with the confidence to continue exercising safely and independently, supported by our qualified team. 

Yorkshire Cancer Research will continue to provide evidence to the NHS and policymakers from its Active Together service, including the experiences of people who have taken part, to help advance national understanding of how exercise can improve cancer treatment and ultimately save lives. The charity's vision is for everyone diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire and beyond to have access to personalised exercise support as part of their treatment