News archive 2008

Minister praises King’s master class

23 Apr 2008, PR 72/08

The first ever Prostate Cancer Master class was today launched at King’s.  Ann Keen, Under Secretary of State for Health Services, addressed delegates at the event organised by the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery in partnership with The Prostate Cancer Charity.

Alison Richardson, Professor of Cancer and Palliative Nursing Care at King's College London said: 'The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery are very pleased to be working with The Prostate Cancer Charity to deliver this master class.  It builds on our commitment to working in partnership with organisations committed to improving patients' experiences of care in order to support the transformation of cancer care through research and education.’

Professor Richardson and Dr Emma Ream, Senior Lecturer in Specialist Palliative Care in the Nursing School, have been working on a research project with the Prostate Cancer Charity entitled: ‘The role and effectiveness of clinical nurse specialists: perceptions of men with prostate cancer’.

Every year nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United Kingdom and 10,000 men die from it.  Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK – every hour at least one man dies from this disease.  The Prostate Cancer Master class is designed for hospital and community health professionals caring for men with prostate cancer. 

The master class entitled ‘The whole journey counts: choices and dilemmas’  aims to provide delegates with a forum to analyse, discuss and debate the current challenges facing prostate cancer care as well as gaining an update on some of the latest research and practice guidance in the management of the disease.

The master class will be delivered through a combination of keynote lectures, workshops and discussion forums led by prostate cancer specialists. Key themes of the two days will include screening, recently developed treatment options and new therapies, along with informed decision making and informed choice and nurse-led care.

Ann Keen, Under Secretary of State for Health Services, said: ‘I congratulate The Prostate Cancer Charity and King’s College London on gathering such an impressive group of health professionals from across the country.  These people all play a crucial role in the care and support of men with prostate cancer.  The Master class will be an excellent forum for improving their expertise and enhancing their specialist knowledge of prostate cancer.’

John Neate, Chief Executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: ‘We have managed to gather a very high level of expertise for The Prostate Cancer Charity Master class. We hope that this key event will provide a unique opportunity for health professionals caring for men with prostate cancer both to improve their understanding of the latest advances in prostate cancer treatment and also to consider the very important daily choices and dilemmas facing these men.’

The delegates will also have the opportunity to hear directly from two people affected by prostate cancer, John and Ann Essex, who will share some of the issues and experiences of dealing with the disease.  The programme will close with an address from Andy Ripley, rugby legend and sportsman and supporter of The Prostate Cancer Charity, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005.

The School offers a number of innovative masterclasses which are held in collaboration with, and open to, the public, independent and voluntary sectors. Contact Julie Bliss mailto:julie.bliss@kcl.ac.uk or Rebecca Verity rebecca.verity@kcl.ac.uk for further details.

[Photography by David Tett]



Notes to editors

1. Full details of the Masterclass can be found at: http://www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/pdf/Prostate%20Cancer%20Programme.pdf

2. The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery
The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery enjoys an excellent reputation producing world leaders in specialist areas. Research flourishes and the vibrant atmosphere means that many return for further study at master's and doctoral level. Nursing and midwifery graduates from King's are highly sought after by employers both nationally and internationally across all specialities of nursing and midwifery.

The School has approximately 1,300 full-time students training to be nurses and midwives and offers flexible and innovative programmes and modules that meet the needs of a wide range of healthcare professionals seeking continuing professional development. The School is home to The Nursing Research Unit, a unique multidisciplinary national centre for nursing research. All postgraduate programmes offered by the School reflect the strong research tradition of nursing and midwifery within the College.

3. King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 140 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres - more than any other university.

4. The Prostate Cancer Charity

Every year nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United Kingdom and 10,000 men die from it.  Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK – every hour at least one man dies from this disease. African Caribbean men are three times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than their white counterparts.

The Prostate Cancer Charity is striving for a world where lives are no longer limited by prostate cancer.  The Charity is fighting prostate cancer on every front - through research, support, information and campaigning.

If you have any queries about prostate cancer call The Prostate Cancer Charity's confidential helpline 0800 074 8383 which is staffed by specialist nurses and open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and Wednesdays from 7 - 9pm or visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk



Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools)
Public Relations Department
King's College London
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334



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