George Hook launches Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre at St James's Hospital

George Hook launched the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Centre at St James’s Hospital, Dublin on Friday last, November 23rd. The Daffodil Centre, which is run by Irish Cancer Society Cancer Information Service nurses and trained volunteers, is an information service on-site in the hospital, where people affected by or concerned about cancer can receive information and support.

The Daffodil Centre is the result of a successful partnership between the Irish Cancer Society and St. James’s Hospital. The set-up of the Centre was made possible by the very generous support of Brian and Olivia Gaynor-Long.  Since it opened in October 2011 the Daffodil Centre at St. James’s has provided advice, support and information to 1,867 enquirers at the point where they need it - the hospital. This service is open to all - no referral or appointment is necessary. Those visiting the centre include cancer patients, partners, family and friends. People concerned about cancer or who want to reduce their risk of getting cancer and healthcare professionals also visit the centre. John McCormack, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, said, “We are delighted to bring our cancer information, support and advice service to the point of diagnosis and care - the hospital. This is a service not just for the patient - it is for their families and friends and anyone else who has a concern or question about cancer. The Society plans to invest €3.6million over the next three years in the nationwide rollout of Daffodil Centres across the country.” The Society currently has seven Daffodil Centres in hospitals in Cork, Dublin and Galway with plans at an advanced stage for a second in Cork and four more in Letterkenny, Waterford, Limerick and St Vincent’s, Dublin over the next year.  Brian Fitzgerald, CEO, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin said, “We welcome the opportunity to work with the Irish Cancer Society to host a Daffodil Centre and we share their vision to transform the patient experience in relation to cancer information and support. The Centre will also support St. James’s Hospital staff, as they can be assured they are directing their patients to a trusted source of support and information, delivered by a professional and expert organisation.” The Irish Cancer Society has been developing information and support services for almost 50 years and is the leading provider of cancer information in Ireland. The Cancer Information Service (CIS), of which the Daffodil Centres are an extension, offers advice, information and support to anyone worried about any aspect of cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care. This service incorporates the National Cancer Helpline (Freefone 1800 200 700: open Mon–Thurs, 9am–7pm and Fri 9am–5pm), email and a ‘walk-in’ caller service.  [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1415","field_deltas":{"1":{}},"link_text":null,"fields":{},"attributes":{"height":"295","width":"460","class":"media-image media-element file-media-original","data-delta":"1"}}]] George Hook officially launches the Irish Cancer Society's Daffodil Centre at St James's Hospital, Dublin