Dorset partners come together to shape the future of cancer prehabilitation
More than 30 colleagues from across acute, community, primary care and voluntary sector organisations came together on 9 July at the Allendale Community Centre in Wimborne for a Dorset-wide Cancer Prehabilitation event hosted by Wessex Cancer Alliance. The aim of the day was to establish a shared vision and agree next steps for prehabilitation across Dorset.
The event opened with a joint welcome from Claire Smith, Lead Cancer Nurse at University Hospitals Dorset, and Julie Lane, Lead Cancer Nurse at Dorset County Hospital, who highlighted the importance of collaboration across organisations to improve outcomes and experiences for people affected by cancer.
Attendees then heard from June Davis, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Lead Allied Health Professional and Nursing Advisor, who provided an overview of the newly published cancer prehabilitation guidelines. The presentation explored the evolution from national guidance to evidence-based clinical and implementation guidelines, reinforcing the role of personalised, multimodal prehabilitation that integrates exercise, nutrition, psychological support and behaviour change.
The morning also showcased examples of local innovation and learning. Sarah Hill shared the outcomes of Dorset County Hospital’s lung cancer prehabilitation pilot and Dr Susie Baker presented on Peri-operative Medicine at Dorset County Hospital. Anna McHillier presented progress from the University Hospitals Dorset prehabilitation programme, including pathway development, stakeholder engagement and plans to build stronger links between hospital and community-based support.
Delegates also heard from Dr Melissa Girling and Dr Holly Stokes, who explored the vital role of psychological support within prehabilitation. Their research highlighted the emotional challenges people face following a cancer diagnosis and the importance of integrating psychological support and personalised care into prehabilitation pathways.
A key feature of the event was a series of interactive breakout discussions focused on collaboration, implementation and sustainability. Participants examined how hospital teams could work more closely with community and primary care colleagues, identified barriers to implementation and shared practical ideas for overcoming them. Themes including siloed working, pathway complexity, workforce challenges, funding and data collection emerged consistently throughout discussions. Despite these challenges, there was strong consensus around opportunities to build on existing momentum. Participants identified five priority areas for future development: establishing a Dorset-wide perioperative and prehabilitation network, creating integrated pathways, strengthening evaluation and data collection, developing workforce capability and securing sustainable infrastructure and investment.
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the value of networking, learning from colleagues’ experiences and creating new partnerships across organisations. Several participants described the meeting as a powerful opportunity to bring the right people together to move prehabilitation forward across Dorset.
The event concluded with a shared commitment to maintain momentum and work collectively towards a seamless Dorset-wide prehabilitation pathway that supports people before, during and after cancer treatment.
A special thank you to all speakers and attendees who contributed their expertise, experiences and ideas throughout the day. The quality of the discussions demonstrated a strong commitment across Dorset to improving prehabilitation and rehabilitation support for people affected by cancer.
Get involved
If you would like to continue the conversation, we encourage colleagues to join the Wessex Cancer Alliance Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Community of Practice or the AHP Forum. These groups provide opportunities to share learning, discuss challenges and hear about developments across Wessex.
We also continue to offer regular 20-minute Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Advice and Guidance Clinics for colleagues involved in service development. Clinics provide support on pathway design, implementation challenges, data and outcomes, commissioning, training and stakeholder engagement.
For more information about the Community of Practice, AHP Forum or Advice and Guidance Clinics, please email Teresa Corbett