Ratification Date: 24/07/2025
Next Review Date: 24/07/2027
What help is out there for me?
As well as treatment for your cancer, you may need help with things such as benefits, your mental health, and work. There is lots of help there for you, to help you live well with cancer, and beyond.
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Local support
In Norfolk and Waveney, Cancer Care Navigators work alongside your cancer team to help and support people affected by cancer. The Cancer Care Navigators can be contacted using the following numbers via their Trusts:
- James Paget University Hospitals: 01493 452 783 – Cancer Care Navigators
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn: 01553 214 792 – Cancer Care Patient Navigators
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals: 01603 647 175 – Cancer Care Navigator Team
- The Big C Charity is based on the grounds of the NNUH Hospital and is there for anyone affected by cancer at any stage. You can call their support team 0800 092 7640 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) or visit one of their support centres within Norfolk and Waveney (details can be found on their website).
- The Pear Tree Centre in Halesworth offers support, information, counselling, and benefits advice.
- Star Throwers Cancer Support Charity in Wymondham provide an individually focused support service for those affected by cancer. Providing information about diagnosis and treatment options, counselling, nutrition support, lymphoedema support, scar therapy, financial advice and a wide range of complementary therapies and support groups. Support is available for people affected by any type of cancer, throughout diagnosis and post-treatment, including carers.
- Dereham Cancer Care a local charity supporting people whose lives are affected by cancer, offers support, information and friendship.
Support services within the hospital trusts
- The Macmillan Information Pod can be found at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).
- The Cancer Wellbeing and Support Centre is located at the back of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
- The North Norfolk Macmillan Cancer Centre is at the Cromer Hospital.
- The Louise Hamilton Centre is located at the front of the James Paget Hospital grounds.
Sources to search for local support
- You can search the Cancer Care Map or In your area – Macmillan Cancer Support to find information on cancer services in your area.
- You can find out about other local support groups that can help y ou here.
National Support
There are several national cancer charities which can provide help, information and support.
- Cancer information and support | Macmillan Cancer Support
- Information and support | Cancer Research UK
- Cancer Support UK: Supporting People with Cancer, During and After Treatment
- We’re here to support y ou | Marie Curie
Online support and laptop loans
Norfolk County Council Library Services
Get one-to-one digital support! The library service can answer your IT queries, help you get online and set up an email account. They have a digital health hub and can help with one-to-one sessions, delivered online over Zoom, or in person in Norfolk libraries (they can even help you get started with Zoom!).
The library service can help you with the skills you need to access online health services. This includes things like how to make an online appointment with a GP and ordering repeat prescriptions online.
Library customers over 16 can now borrow a laptop to use in the library or take home if you do not have such a device. If you take a laptop home, you will need to have access to the internet to be able to use.
For more information speak to your local library, call 01603 774777, email libraries.iconnect@norfolk.gov.uk or visit their website Digital support and skills courses – Norfolk County Council
Mental health
Your emotions will be affected by your cancer diagnosis and treatment, and you may find yourself struggling with your mental health. This is perfectly normal. There is help and support out there for you.
- In our area, Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board has produced a contact information poster – Psychological wellbeing support for people affected by cancer
- Norfolk and Waveney Talking Therapies – Find support in Norfolk and Waveney and Waveney – Talking is good for you!
- Visit NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression
- Get help in a Crisis – Get urgent help if you are experiencing a mental health crisis
- Macmillan Cancer Support has a whole section devoted to you and your emotions, with information about understanding your feelings, and the physical impact of your emotions. This includes a section on who can support y ou with y our emotions, including your GP and your healthcare team.
- You can read about the emotional effects of cancer here.
- You can listen to ‘The emotional effects of cancer‘ audiobook.
- Cancer Research UK also has a guide to your mental health including information on how cancer can make you feel.
Getting mental health help
- In Norfolk and Waveney, you can call emotional and mental health support lines ran by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. Call 0808 196 3494 – available 24 hours a day.
- If you are in urgent need, please call the Samaritans: call 116 123 – available 24 hours a day
- Working in partnership with Bupa, Macmillan are offering counselling for people struggling emotionally because they are living with cancer.
- Cancer Research UK also has information on counselling and how it may support you and your mental health.
Physical health
Looking after your physical health is important when you are living with cancer. This includes taking exercise which can help to improve your energy and your mood. You can find information on exercising, its benefits for you, and guidelines for exercising when you have cancer here:
- Exercise and cancer – Maggie’s Cancer Care
- Exercise guidelines for cancer patients – Cancer Research UK
- How can I be more active?
- Being physically active after treatment
- You can also read an easy read booklet on exercise and cancer here.
- You can read a booklet about physical activity and cancer here.
- What you eat and drink – your nutrition – is something that is also good to think about. You may find your appetite affected by cancer and its treatment. Here is a useful link about nutrition and cancer.
- Your appearance may change during cancer, for example, through hair loss which can have an impact on how you feel. The Big C has advice on cancer and your appearance and you can watch a film about this here.
Local Get Active help
Money and bills
One of the things that you may be thinking about when you have cancer is money and paying bills. You may be worried about the impact of cancer on your income. There is lots of advice and help available, and you may be able to get some benefits to help you.
- The Big C offers welfare advice, and you can speak to a welfare advisor about things such as benefits, loans, housing, employment issues, travel expenses, childcare, blue badge applications, bus passes, help with form filling and much more.
- Cancer Research UK has a section all about money matters, including information on paying mortgages, credit cards, loans, and insurance.
- Maggie’s Centres also provides information on money and bills.
Benefits
You may be able to access benefits if you have cancer. You can find information here:
- Money , benefits and cancer
- What benefits can I claim?
- Benefits for people affected by cancer
- In addition, Macmillan also offer grants which are small, one-off means-tested payments to help with the extra costs that living with cancer can bring.
- The cost of living may be causing you concern and you can find practical help and emotional support.
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has a film on what financial information you can receive during cancer.
Work
Having cancer and having treatment may make it hard for you to work. You can find information and support to help you around how you work with cancer. There is also information about your rights:
- Work and cancer – Macmillan Cancer Support
- Work and cancer – Maggie’s
- Cancer Research UK explains how the Disability Discrimination Act will support your rights and your employer.
- You can read a booklet about work and cancer here.
- You can read a booklet about what questions to ask about work here.
- You can find information here about Employment Support Alliance which is a benefit for people under State Pension age who have an illness or disability that affects how much they can work.
- If you are self-employed you can find information here.
Travel
Cancer can affect how you can travel – here, you can find information on cancer and travel including things to think about like travel insurance and treatments:
- Macmillan Cancer Support has help and advice on travel.
- Cancer Research UK has some top tips to help you travel with cancer.
- Travelling and holidays with cancer – tips and advice – Young Lives vs Cancer
Getting social
It can feel lonely having cancer and connecting with other people can help you with this. This may be by linking in with people who also have cancer, or it could be by getting support professional staff. There are people there to reach out to when you need help.
Living with cancer in your language
You can find information on living with cancer in multiple languages here, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese traditional, Dari, Farsi, Gujarati, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Welsh.
You can find information on living with cancer in multiple languages:
Screening videos in different languages: