McGrath Foundation reaches 100,000 patients supported milestone
The McGrath Foundation today announced a significant milestone, having now supported more than 100,000 families impacted by breast cancer in Australia, delivering an unprecedented amount of supportive care across the country.
The milestone has been reached as the number of patients supported grew by 14% over the last 12 months with the Foundation placing 20 new McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities across Australia – bringing the total number of McGrath Breast Care Nurses to 171.
“Our mission is to ensure no one goes through breast cancer without the care of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse and we are so proud to have placed 20 new McGrath Breast Care Nurses in the past 12 months to bring us closer to that goal,” said McGrath Foundation CEO, Holly Masters.
“When the McGrath Foundation first started, Jane and Glenn thought if they could help just one family it would be worthwhile, so the fact our McGrath Breast Care Nurses have now supported over 100,000 families is phenomenal,” Masters continued.
McGrath Breast Care Nurses provide essential physical and emotional support – for free – to anyone experiencing breast cancer and their families, from diagnosis and throughout their treatment.
This support has been more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, with McGrath Breast Care Nurses delivering more than 230,000 hours of care in the past 12 months and telehealth consultations tripling over the past two years.
“Our nurses deliver care in four main areas, psychosocial support, coordinating care, education, and clinical care. People impacted by breast cancer are already distressed and worried, add to that a global pandemic and there are additional anxieties, as well as logistics to manage.
“While the way our nurses sometimes deliver care may have changed due to the pandemic, the nurse-patient relationship has always been central to what our nurses do and they have been there for people across the country at some of the most difficult times in their lives,” Masters said.
“While we are so proud to have supported 100,000 families, there are still people going through breast cancer without that support. Our analysis shows that 79 more nurses are needed to ensure that no one misses out on the care of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse,” Masters said.
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