The Cancer Psychological Team, based at the Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital, has introduced Virtual Reality (VR) after being awarded a cancer innovation grant from the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance last year.
Funding to the tune of £1,600 was awarded to buy VR equipment to enable relaxation therapies to be delivered to young people being treated in the Teenage and Young Adult Unit (Ward 33).
The project proved so popular that the cancer psychological team, led by consultant clinical psychologist, Dr Jennie Ormerod, has now invested in further equipment which patients of any age and their loved ones are being invited to road-test for the first time on Tuesday 24 June.
Dr Ormerod explains:
“We’ve been using VR headsets with our young patients since the start of the year to help with relaxation and the feedback has been fantastic.
“A cancer diagnosis can be really difficult to come to terms with, and treatment can sometimes be gruelling, so we wanted to be able to offer something to help our patients regulate their emotions and put them in a better place psychologically.
“We use ‘The Calm Zone’, an app which forms part of the ‘Brain Recovery Zone’ package developed by consultant clinical neuropsychologist Dr Katherine Dawson and rehabilitation medicine consultant Dr Abayomi Salawu back in 2019.
“Patients are invited to use the headsets to transport themselves to a range of relaxing landscapes including beach, mountain and forest settings and even the Northern Lights! Studies have shown that the same parts of our brain are activated in virtual environments as they are in real-life settings, and the skills we can learn in VR training have been shown to transfer into real-life settings too.
“We’ve had some great feedback from young people on the TYA Unit about how the VR experiences have helped to ease their anxieties, so we wanted to roll this out further.”
A dedicated headset is intended for use within the Macmillan Information Centre, at the entrance to the Queen’s Centre, where patients will be able to pre-book free relaxation sessions every Tuesday afternoon from 3rd June onwards. Acknowledging the toll that a cancer diagnosis can also have on loved ones, the VR relaxation headsets will also be available for use by family, friends and carers too.
Anyone with an interest who would like to know more or to try a VR headset with the help of staff is welcome along to the Queen’s Centre for an open taster session:
- Tuesday 24 June
- 10am to 2pm
- Macmillan Information Centre, Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital
Visitors wishing to use a headset on 24 June will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis, with each session lasting no more than 15 minutes.
For any further queries, please contact the Cancer Psychological Service 01482 461060 or the Macmillan Information Centre on 01482 461154.
