Inside Edinburgh's pioneering cancer centre supporting patients for over 25 years

For over two decades Maggie's centre in Edinburgh has been providing expert advice, comfort and hope to cancer patients.

The centre, located within the grounds of the Western General Hospital, helps visitors escape the hospital environment through its colourful building and tranquil garden space.

Edinburgh Live visited the centre on Wednesday, June 19, and everyone was full of praise for staff and the resources available. Alex, who was diagnosed with stage four medulloblastoma in January 2023, was enjoying some down time in the garden and told us how Maggie's 'helped pull her out of a dark place'.

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The 32-year-old was so overcome by emotion the first time she was brought to the centre she burst into tears. Since then, Alex knows the negative aspect of a hospital visit is made positive by a subsequent visit to Maggie's.

The centre is run by two co-heads - Anna Clarkson and Caroline McKinnel. Several psychologists and cancer support specialists are always on hand to provide patients with expert advice and to help them understand the complexities of their condition.

Whether it's questions about treatment, life after cancer or financial support, the team at Maggie's are trained to offer support to patients as well as the friends and family of those who may be struggling.

The centre consists of several orange buildings which are connected through different rooms and corridors. The centrepiece of the centre, according to staff, is the large kitchen table, where people congregate and share their experiences as well as offer advice.

Maggie's also offer several workshops and focus group, exploring on a wide variety of topics and issues cancer patients may be faced with or want to know more about.

Hidden away in the corner of the buildings are comfortable and cosy seating areas where patients can come to relax and escape the hospital environment. The centre is open 9-5 Monday to Friday for visitors to drop-in without an appointment.

Speaking to Edinburgh Live about her role at Maggie's and what sort of service the centre provides, co-head Anna Clarkson said: "I worked in oncology nursing for 25 years before coming to Maggie's and one programme we run called Where Now? was a big driver for me and why I came to Maggie's in the first place.

"My background was a senior charge nurse and in-patient chemotherapy and outpatient chemotherapy and also outpatient chemotherapy services at St John's. I was a collect cancer nurse specialist for many years as well.

"What you do is somebody finishes their cancer treatment, and then you might only see them once a year after that for follow up and patients are terrified during that time as they've had the comfort, they've had weekly appointments, they've had three weekly appointments and they've had a constant contact number, and then they were left to their own devices.

"Many don't actually want to celebrate the end of treatment because it's that fearfulness of 'who am I? Where am I? I've lost confidence. How did I get back to work'.

"Everyone talks about acute side effects of chemotherapy, for example, tiredness or nausea but they don't talk about it so freely, or there's not as much awareness around more complex, longer term side effects of cancer treatments.

"Whether that's radiotherapy or chemotherapy and a lot of our programme of support is based around the initial diagnosis and navigating through cancer treatment, but also moving forward and that's where our Where Now? course, which is run in our room today, comes from and that looks at a different theme each week over six weeks."

Where Now? helps patients get back on a path after treatment and helps them manage life beyond cancer, as well as how to live with the illness moving forward, for example slowly returning to work and the challenges it may bring.

The team at Maggie's are trained cancer support specialists and all have a background in nursing. There are also counselling psychologists and a benefits advisor to offer financial advice.

Anna added how the drop-in aspect at Maggie's is what makes it unique and different from other support centres.

She continued: "People can just drop in at their point of need. They may want to speak to a specialist, and they can do that on the day or they can just come in and use the space."

When asked if the centre has seen an increase or decrease in visitors in recent years, Anna expressed there is always space for more visitors at Maggie's and the group is trying to encourage more male patients to attend.

"We've always got capacity for more and that's very much the ethos of the centre," she added.

"We see probably between 23,500 to 24,000 visits a year including repeat visits, not individual visitors, and around 100 people a day to the centre but if you think about that compared to the population of people who have cancer in the hospital, it's still a fairly small proportion and we're really trying to reach out, because we should have a 50/50 split between men and women.

"We're doing quite a lot of work to encourage men to come back into the centre as well and one of our more recent developments is on the last Friday of the month we have a men's drop in space for men who've been affected by cancer and that's facilitated by David Glass, who's our counselling psychologist.

"We're here for friends and family, too. It's not just the person with the diagnosis."

Alex, who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour last year, told us how Maggie's helped pull her from a 'dark place' and how the centre has provided her with a safe space to share her emotions.

"I couldn't comprehend what was happening and what it meant for my life. I knew it was aggressive but the nurse took me to Maggie's and I just cried," she said.

"You come in and are greeted with the orange surroundings with yellow walls. This is the only positive association I gain from coming to the hospital as I know I'll be coming here. Maggie's have been amazing. The first day I came here I got signed up to a couple of groups and provided space to talk and hope.

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"They don't judge you and know what to say. I was allowed to say whatever I wanted whether I was angry or sad. They guided me as well so I am grateful to the team. I attend a brain tumour support group for people with brain tumours and cancers to get together and discuss what we appreciate and what makes us happy and what worries or frightens us."

Lesley Howells, Maggie’s Lead Psychologist, said: “Maggie’s really has been a pioneer of providing support for people post-treatment. We first started developing Where Now? 15 years ago, after our Chief Executive Laura Lee spotted a need for a course which helped people to adjust to life once they have left the endless round of appointments and treatments.

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“Regardless of prognosis, life post-treatment can be hugely challenging. Many people are left with physical and emotional side effects which can impact the quality of their lives, while for others though it can simply be about readjusting to normal. Maggie’s Where Now? course can help with many aspects of this.”

Those who wish to find out more about Maggie's and what support is available can do so by going online or dropping in any time throughout the week to chat with a member of staff.