CANCER patients have been handed a lifeline when they have been unable to get food during the coronavirus crisis.

Macmillan dietitian Mhairi Donald has been on hand to deliver as many as 60 food parcels each week from the charity’s Horizon Centre in Brighton.

The conditions for cancer patients during the lockdown were strict, with those affected told not to go out of their homes.

So getting vital food and supplies to them has been a challenge for Macmillan, which has stepped in to help those most in need.

Mhairi works at the Sussex Cancer Centre where she tests patients’ food needs and helps those living with cancer.

She said: “We have lots of patients who are very vulnerable, they can’t leave the house to go shopping because they are shielding – so how do they get their food?

“Many of our patients are classified as clinically extremely vulnerable and this group is advised to stay at home at all times.

“They can’t leave their home for anything other than their treatment, but they can register online for help via the Government website from the supermarkets for online shopping.

“Some don’t have the capacity to do that and they do not have families to help them or families living nearby. They’re going through gruelling chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy, it’s very difficult for them.

“Some people who are undergoing treatment and should be shielding are running the gauntlet of going out to buy food because they genuinely feel they have no other option.

“And others are finding themselves in food poverty for the first time and don’t know where to turn.”

Mhairi has worked with food bank supplier Fareshare to get access to goods but admits some patients may be shy to tell her exactly what they need.

She said: “Even those who are getting regular food need help, they might be anxious or their appetite might be affected. People do better if they are well-nourished. Food is nurturing as well, even something like a chocolate biscuit can lift people’s spirits.”

Brighton ovarian cancer patient Jeanette Morris is currently isolating with her husband Bill. She said she was not on a list of those at risk and at times was left to do without food.

But Jeanette said: “It has been a tremendous relief to receive good, helpful, essential food from Mhairi’s stock. It is a lifeline for patients like myself who are going through savage chemotherapy. It has been like a great weight being lifted off my shoulders.”

To support Macmillan in Brighton call 01273 468770 or visit macmillan.org.uk.