10 attendees.

Apologies

Macmillan Representative - Lin Mear updated the meeting that she is still trying to get hold of the Macmillan Representative to ask her to attend the January meeting.  Lin agreed to try and contact her again next week when she is working.

NB: Lin has telephoned Macmillan.  They have a new Regional Coordinator called Paula Bond who is going to call back to speak to Lin regarding the support group, and hopefully attending a future meeting.

Publicity – Rowland informed the meeting that a copy of the web site pages is now available in the Macmillan Unit.  He has also posted leaflets on the notice board outside the PALS office at the Hospital and also on the main board outside the General Office in Main Reception.  Corrina informed the meeting that a copy of the support group leaflet is now placed into the Patient Diaries, which is given to all colorectal cancer patients on admission to hospital for their surgery.

It was discussed that people could perhaps publicise the group to their own individual GP surgeries.  Corrina will print off some more leaflets to give to Rowland and has also agreed to send one leaflet to each surgery via the internal mail system in the new year as she will not have time to do this before January 2007.

Patient/Carer Stories – Jim and Patricia Reynolds have both produced stories which were sent to Rowland and have been published on the web site.  Rex Beable has agreed to write a story outside the meeting, and Heather Sutton has also agreed to write her story.  Maureen Raybould said she would ask her youngest daughter if she would write her story, but is not sure whether this will be possible as her daughter has blocked this time out from her life and chooses not to remember this too vividly.