Supportive care describes a range of approaches that seek to prevent or manage the adverse effects (symptoms) of blood disorders and their treatment to improve a person’s quality of life. It includes physical, psychological, social and spiritual support for patients and their families.
This type of care may include pain or infection management; nutritional, psychological or social support interventions; rehabilitation and physical activity; medicines optimisation and palliative care.
Supportive care may be given alongside other treatments at different times in the treatment pathway, from the time of diagnosis until the end of life.
The strategic aims of the SIG are as follows:
- To bring together multidisciplinary specialists with experience and interest in supportive care approaches. Creating a community with expertise and commitment to supportive care that positively contributes to BSH’s activities, benefiting haematology practice and patients within the UK.
- To contribute to the improvement of education and training in supportive care in haematology.
- To provide a contact, coordinating and advocacy group for supportive care professionals, in conjunction with BSH.
- To contribute and provide expertise for the development of relevant BSH guidelines and good practice documents.
- To work with professional societies and other groups to advocate and disseminate supportive care messages to embed good practice.
Supportive Care SIG committee
Chair - Laura Miller
Haematology Research Dietitian. NIHR Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellow
Laura Barr - BSc (Nursing)
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Dr Shireen Kassam
Consultant Haematologist, Lifestyle Medicine Physician
Wen Yuen Lim - NMP, MSc, MPharm
Highly Advanced Haematology Pharmacist
Catherine Loughran - MSc, BPharm
Consultant Pharmacist Haematology
Dr Manideepa Maji - MBBS, MD, MRCPCH
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Haematology
Dr Natalie Murray - MBChB, BSc, MRCP
Haematology Speciality Registrar, dipIBLM / Certified lifestyle medicine physician
Tracey Small - BSc (Nursing)
Haematology CNS
Dr Priya Sriskandarajah - MBBS, BSc, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD
Consultant Haematologist in MPN and General Haematology
Dr Jennifer Vidrine - BM, BS, MBBS
Consultant in Palliative & Supportive Care
Claire Woodley - BSc (Nursing), NMP, RN, PG Dip
Haematology Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Education
There are currently no planned events.
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World Cancer Research Fund webinar will be live on Wednesday 25th March 2026, 12.30-13.30pm UK time.
Registration for the second in the World Cancer Research Fund's cancer prevention webinar series is now open. This session will focus on 'Beyond steps: How movement and sedentary behaviour shape cancer risk'. Register here.
Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and cancer risk: What the evidence shows and how to support patients in practice.
This webinar explores the evidence linking physical activity and sedentary behaviour to cancer risk, drawing on findings from World Cancer Research Fund's Third Expert Report. It focuses on how movement influences cancer risk through key biological mechanisms and crucially, how health professionals can support patients to move more and sit less in ways that are achievable, meaningful and sustainable in real life.Learning objectives:
- Understand the role of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in cancer prevention based on evidence from the World Cancer Research Fund's Third Expert Report.
- Recognise the key biological mechanisms through which physical activity reduces cancer risk.
- Develop practical, evidence-informed approaches to support patients to move more and sit less in everyday life.
Content outline:
- What the evidence says: physical activity, sedentary behaviour and cancer risk across multiple cancer sites.
- How physical activity reduces cancer risk: key mechanisms including metabolic regulation, inflammation, immune function, and hormone pathways.
- The WCRF physical activity recommendation: what it means in practice and how to communicate it clearly to patients.
- Moving beyond “exercise”: supporting small, achievable changes, reducing prolonged sitting, and integrating movement into daily routines
- Practical tips and resources to help health professionals have effective, motivating conversations about physical activity.
This webinar is ideal for anyone working in primary care, public health, dietetics, nutrition, or community health and wellbeing. whether your role involves brief interventions or lifestyle conversations, this session will equip you with actionable insights to support cancer prevention through exercise and activity.
Join the Supportive Care Special Interest Group
We're keen to grow our diverse multidisciplinary membership to reflect our services and patient needs.
The SIG welcomes both members and non-members of the BSH who have a special interest in supportive care and is free to join.
Why should I join the Supportive Care Special Interest Group?
All members will have access to the quarterly bulletin for training and education opportunities and information on recent guidelines, alongside opportunities for co-option onto working groups where required specialist skills are not currently available within the membership.
BSH members will have the additional opportunity to join the committee, task and finish, and guideline writing groups.
Please note you will need to create a log in account to join a SIG.
For more information please email our Volunteer Support Officer, Asia Parvez.