London’s first 'Get to know cancer' drop-in clinic opens in Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur and England footballer Kyle Walker has officially opened London's first 'Get to know cancer' drop-in clinic offering health checks and information about the signs of cancer in Haringey, where almost a third of deaths are caused by the disease.

Walker, 23, was one of the first to set foot in the clinic at Tottenham Community Sports Centre on Tuesday 4 February, opposite White Hart Lane, where members of the public are able to get checked out by specialist cancer nurses.

The clinic is a result of a year-long partnership between NHS England (London) ‘Get to know cancer’ and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, which is committed to raising awareness of symptoms and promoting early diagnosis throughout the 2013/2014 football season. Previously the ‘Get to know cancer’ campaign has launched pop-up shops but this is the first drop-in clinic it has established in a local community centre.

The clinic forms part of a five year strategy from NHS England (London) aimed at boosting cancer services, enhancing patient experience and raising survival rates. Produced in partnership between NHS England (London), London’s Clinical Commissioning Groups, Public Health England, the Integrated Cancer systems and charity partners, the strategy sets out key recommendations for health services across the capital.

Haringey is one of the most diverse boroughs in London with some of the most deprived wards in England. In the four years up to 2005, mortality rates were highest in Northumberland Park and White Hart Lane wards.

Between 2007 and 2009 there were 1,044 cancer related deaths in Haringey, with the most caused by trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (20%); breast cancer (9.7%); prostate cancer (7.7%); colon cancer (5.8%) and pancreatic cancer (5.6%). However, around 40 per cent of cancers could be prevented by simple changes in lifestyle, such as getting more active, eating better and quitting smoking.

Anyone can go along to the clinic, situated in the community centre (701-701 High Road, London, N17 8AD), to speak to a nurse. No appointment is necessary. Nurses at the clinic will provide information and refer residents to free local help, including weight management and stop smoking services, where appropriate.

The Haringey clinic is the latest in a series of ‘Get to know cancer’ pop-up shops and market stalls across London, including outside White Hart Lane on home match days. A total of 6,000 people attended pop-ups in Islington, Croydon and Edmonton Green.

Many people have been helped, including a man concerned about a lump in his testes, who came back a week later to say his GP had acted on the referral note and he was given an urgent scan, and a woman who was diagnosed with malignant melanoma after one of the nurses noticed a suspicious mark on her face.

The Haringey clinic is open for six weeks from 4 February on:

Tuesdays 4 - 7pm
Thursdays 10 - 4pm
Saturdays 10 - 2pm