22–23 Jul 2026
Heidelberg Congress Center
Europe/Berlin timezone

Making physical activity standard care in cancer – a strategic approach

Not scheduled
30m
Heidelberg Congress Center

Heidelberg Congress Center

Czernyring 20 69115 Heidelberg Germany
2 - Scientific Poster or Talk Poster Session

Speaker

Mrs Sarah Dewhurst

Description

There is a strengthening mandate from the literature, clinical bodies’, clinician experience and the patient voice adding weight to the argument that physical activity should be a standard component of cancer care. What is less clear is how this is implementable in over stretched clinical settings where priorities are significantly influenced by funding and exercise healthcare professionals do not always have access to key decision makers.
At the Royal Marsden we are, to our knowledge, the first specialist cancer hospital who is trying a strategic approach to achieving this aim. The ‘Physical Activity Strategy’ was launched initially in 2019, but due to Covid-19 it was updated and re-launched in 2023. It's ambition is to achieve an 'Active Marsden' with work focused around four themes: workforce, digital, partnerships and active environments.
This poster outlines the steps taken to co-create a Physical Activity Strategy endorsed by the Trust’s senior leadership and incorporated into the Trust’s overarching Strategy.
• It will outline how we are attempting to measure change to the culture around physical activity
• It will explain how stakeholders are being utilised to ensure this continues to be a co-developed piece of work
• It will showcase how we are attempting to reduce the health inequalities often linked to exercise service provision with targeted advocacy
• Lastly it will identify the key challenges we have faced in trying to embed a strategic approach to physical activity within a tertiary centre and make suggestions to help others considering a similar approach

Keywords

Physical activity, strategy, culture

Abstract submitters declaration yes
Conflict of Interest & Ethical Approval yes

Authors

Mrs Sarah Dewhurst Mrs Siobhan Cowan-Dickie

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.