Meet the team

Sara Hannant

Hello my name is Sara and I am very excited to be a member of the Macmillan Cancer Care Navigator Team.

 I have always loved working within the NHS, giving the best care possible is very important to me and putting the patients’ needs first has always been my priority.

I have worked in the NHS for nearly 37 years, most recently working as an Assistant Practitioner on surgical wards. I have also spent time working in the community with the Hospice@Home service, and prior to that I was part of the Community Cancer Matrons team.

The Community Cancer Matrons helped cancer patients who were having cancer treatment, giving advice, comfort, supporting them with appointments and also signposting to other services who could help support them. We worked closely with GPs, Clinical Nurse Specialists and all members of the patient’s medical team. It was a much needed service and well received, it was very sad when this pilot service didn’t continue.

This is why I love being a Macmillan Cancer Care Navigator, and now have the opportunity to help you and your loved ones through your cancer journey based here at the Louise Hamilton Centre. We work as part of the Cancer Services team so work closely with your doctors and nurses.

Hopefully you will find our service helps you, we are only a call away.

Lyndsey Hewitt

My name is Lyndsey, I'm a proud mother of four boys and grandmother of a beautiful little girl.

I have worked in the NHS for nearly 20 years now, over 18 of those spent on busy surgical ward as a HCA, and I am still, if not more, passionate about great patient care than I was when I first started working for the JPUH all those years ago.

A little over three years ago my dear late mother was diagnosed with terminal progressive breast cancer and both mine and my families world began to fall apart. Although I had worked in a healthcare setting I felt hopeless and confused with how to help her for the best and what to do to support her and get her everything she needed. As a family we nursed her at home till she sadly passed away and slowly have adapted to life without her.

I knew from the experiences that we had gone through with my mum that I wanted to help other patients and their families coping with a cancer diagnosis and so being a Cancer Care Navigator is a huge honour and a great privilege for me.

As a CCN I try to give my best to every patient/family that I come into contact with and hopefully make their journey a little easier if I can.

Jo Pawlett

I became a Macmillan Cancer Care Navigator in November 2021, supporting patients following a cancer diagnosis through until discharge, living with and beyond cancer.

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in July 2010. Following my personal experience I started volunteering at the Louise Hamilton Centre. This inspired me to start “Can-cervive”, a Cancer Support Group, which has grown year by year since 2015 and we now have over 200 members living in Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

In 2019 I started working with the Macmillan Survivorship Nurse Lead for Cancer Services at JPUH, this enabled me to gain experience around the different cancer pathways and understand how the NHS supports patients through their diagnosis. I became a Patient Representative on various cancer steering groups and supported re-starting a Together Against Cancer patient group at the JPUH.

I work within a lovely supportive team and have already had the opportunity to support lots of cancer patients, both on the telephone and face to face. We are in a very privileged position to be able to spend time listening to patients and their families, signposting them to all the supportive services available in the community and ‘hold their hand’, by being there as and when they need us.

Julie Donaldson

My name is Julie and I became a Macmillan Cancer Care Navigator in June 2023.

I have worked for the NHS for the past 34 years, most recently working with the Head and Neck Oncology team as an assistant practitioner. My job role within Head and Neck entailed supporting patients from their cancer diagnosis and treatment pathway. During this time I worked closely with the Macmillan Cancer Care Navigators and was inspired by the amazing work they do for both cancer patients and their family members.

I am passionate about cancer care, providing emotional support and looking after patient’s holistic needs. When a vacancy became available within the Navigator team, I felt this was my opportunity to use my previous experience and expertise to support patients across all body sites.

I find my job very rewarding and fulfilling, I especially enjoy the patient centred care involved and feel we are a very supportive and caring team. We are all here for you and are only a call away.