ROYAL Surrey Hospital’s Macmillan Aftercare Rehabilitation Service (MARS) has been named a finalist in the prestigious annual Macmillan Professionals Excellence Awards.

MARS was established in 2013 in response to the lack of specialist aftercare services for patients who have been treated for head and neck cancer.

After undergoing treatment patients can experience difficulties with eating, drinking and communicating.

The team offers a “one-stop service” to help them manage the side effects and improve their quality of life.

Each week the MARS team, attends 15 different consultant-led clinics, across a total of five different NHS trusts.

As part of the judging process the team, which includes dieticians, speech and language therapists, nutrition nurses and a healthcare coordinator were invited to London to present their work to a panel of experts.

MARS faces stiff competition from eight other teams, with the winners being announced in Birmingham, in November. Claire Hanika, a MARS dietician, said: “It is a tremendous honour for our work to be recognised by the shortlisting panel.

“The patients are at the centre of everything we do and as a team and we always strive to ensure the best outcomes for them in the post treatment phase.”

Louise Stead, chief operating officer and director of nursing said: “We’re very proud of the MARS team for being shortlisted for such a prestigious award, which recognises the amazing effort they put in day in, day out to improve the lives of our patients.

“We will have our fingers crossed for the team when the winners are announced in November.”