NHS charity funds prescribing lifestyle medicine training for clinical nurse specialist

Thanks to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has been able to fund Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine online training for Neuro-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist Janet Bower.

Lifestyle medicine is a branch of medicine focused on preventive healthcare and self-care. It focuses on areas such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections. The course trains the practitioner in personalised care and lifestyle medicine principles, supporting them to grow their confidence in applying lifestyle medicine in a practical way to practice.

Janet supports and cares for people diagnosed with a primary brain tumour across the whole of the Hywel Dda Health Board area.

Janet said: “I’m incredibly grateful that charitable funds have allowed me to undergo the Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine training. The training has supported me in responding to challenges people face that fall outside of the typical treatment-related side effects.

“For example, many brain tumour patients are affected by fatigue, poor diabetes control, lack of sleep, reduced exercise and loss of confidence. This course will train me to assess for the broader issues that affect people and provide actionable advice to improve their quality of life.

“The challenge of caring for people with brain tumours is that treatment options can be limited and come with challenging side effects. Completion of this course has meant that I can offer people another option that meets their individual needs alongside any conventional treatment.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk