HCUK London Barrett’s Support Group

A very warm welcome to Heartburn Cancer UK’s London Barrett’s Patients Support Group, based at University College London Hospital. 

The London Barrett’s Oesophagus Support Group, was formed in December 2012, initiated by Sally Thorpe, the Clinical Nurse specialist at UCLH. Sally’s depth of experience, her extensive contacts and her close personal involvement are invaluable.

We have been formally recognised as a valued and appreciated member of a Partnership Group within the Hospital with a close link to the Voluntary Services department.

We see our primary purpose as to provide information and pastoral care to patients and carers in the London area to complement the exemplary care provided by the medical team at UCLH and other hospitals, and the wider HCUK charity network.

Our regular activities usually take the following forms:

• All new patients are routinely informed of the existence of our group in the hospital and are encouraged to contact us by phone or email, at any time, to learn about the group, and discuss any questions they may have informally and confidentially, as fellow patient to patient.
• We attend regular clinics at UCLH, usually on the 1^st and 4^th Wednesdays of the month, offering the facility to patients and carers attending the hospital to come and have refreshments and a chat with us, again seeking an opportunity to listen to any concerns, and to share our experience of Barrett’s which collectively is now a huge bank of practical knowledge.
• We hold open patients’ meetings at the Macmillan Centre, UCLH, on a quarterly basis, on the first Wednesday of the month, from 5 – 7pm, which members have found to be very helpful, friendly and supportive. We regularly invite guest speakers to these meetings to discuss specific aspects of Barrett’s, including our key consultants, other medical professionals such as dieticians, pharmacists, researchers and specialist nursing staff.
• Members are also regularly invited to seminars, symposiums and conferences usually at the hospital for professionals and patients, to participate, and in particular to put over the patient’s perspective. These are great opportunities to learn more about the condition, as well as more about research and future developments. For example, early in 2020 HCUK and the Hospital organised the ‘Upper GI Symposium’ which was of great interest to Barrett’s patients.