Information, support and counselling
The Hamar Centre is located at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The service is for people with cancer and other long term and serious illnesses, their relatives and carers living in Shropshire and Mid-Wales. People can telephone or 'drop-in' to the Centre for information or to make appointments for taking up further support. If you are an inpatient at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, it may be possible to see a counsellor on the ward, subject to availability of Centre staff, please speak to the ward staff about this.
Information
We have a range of booklets, leaflets and files of information. This may be useful for helping people understand more about cancer and different treatments and about some other illnesses, other services available and people who can help, how to access and make best use of them, holiday insurance advice and so on. A computer is also available to access information from the internet . Contact the Hamar Centre reception for guidance in the first instance or for arranging advice and discussion with a counsellor and specialist nurse. Information builds on that already provided by multi-disciplinary health care teams.
Support and counselling
Life with serious illness - whether at diagnosis, during treatments or in the time that follows - can present many challenges. We offer a range of options for emotional and psychological help in our programme of supportive and psychological therapies. This can vary, from short term support to tide people over a crisis and to encourage them to help themselves, to longer term support - working towards rehabilitation and well-being for those people in greater need.
Feeling emotionally upset is a natural and understandable reaction to serious illness, as is questioning the meaning amd purpose of life. The impact of illness can affect us on many levels and sometimes it can be very helpful to talk this over with someone outside your situation who is professionally trained and can begin to help you find new perspectives. Typical issues may include anxious and difficult feelings, low mood and morale, coping with medical treatments and their after effects, tension in relationships with family and friends and philosophical questions.
Counselling and supportive therapies can be helpful in different ways. For further information on self referral or professional referral please visit or telephone the Centre.
Support includes
- Individual counselling with trained counsellors who can offer a range of different expertise and approaches to helping
- Working in a group
- Range of therapy and support groups including art therapy
Informal support
Many people find it helpful to meet others with similar illnesses. Some support groups meet at the Centre or we can give you details of others in the area.
Alternatively, many people find the atmosphere in the Hamar Centre is calm and relaxing. This can be especially so in times of crisis such as when making frequent visits to the hospital for treatments, tests or for visiting relatives. If you feel you need a 'quiet place' to unwind, please feel welcome to call in and perhaps have a cup of tea.
The Hamar Centre garden and summerhouse is particularly tranquil and during the warmer months can be a wonderful refuge for our clients and visitors. We also welcome hospital patients and their visitors, if well enough to leave the ward for a period and the staff know where you are going! The summerhouse is there to enjoy for all. Please ask at the Centre reception for the key, when it is locked.
Referral and hours available:
Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Tel: 01743 261035
Fax: 01743 261465
E-mail: hamarcentre@sath.nhs.uk