Stepping Hill's Macmillan cancer centre is open weekdays 10am to 4pm, no appointment needed, with weekly Citizens Advice slots. Where to find it and how to call.
Anyone in Stockport affected by cancer can now walk into a dedicated support centre at Stepping Hill Hospital without an appointment. The Macmillan Cancer Support Centre was formally opened by Macmillan’s chief executive, Gemma Peters, the hospital trust announced on 30 September.
The centre has in fact been open to visitors since late July. The trust announced on 30 July that it had opened that week. The ceremony marked its official launch.
It is for patients, but also for the families, friends and carers around them.
When it is open and how to find it
The trust’s service page gives these details:
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm |
| Appointment needed? | No, it is drop-in |
| Phone | 0161 419 4582 |
| Address | Stepping Hill Hospital, Poplar Grove, Stockport SK2 7JE |
Inside the hospital, the centre sits between the rear entrance of the Medical and Surgical Building and Outpatients Department C. The trust says there are signs to it across the site.
What you can get help with
The centre is run by a dedicated team. The trust’s service page lists the support it offers:
- managing physical health concerns and treatment side effects
- emotional wellbeing and psychological support
- financial guidance, including benefits, travel costs and insurance
- budgeting and debt management
- employment advice, for both employees and employers
- signposting to specialist services and local support groups
Citizens Advice already runs weekly appointment slots at the centre. The trust says coffee mornings, wellbeing sessions and complementary therapies are being added.
The building has two private rooms for confidential conversations and a courtyard garden. The trust says a complementary therapy area is planned for a later date.
Who built it
The centre is a partnership between Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support. Stockport NHS Charity and other partners helped to create and equip it. It was designed by the architects Arcadis.
Local artist Ian Rayner-Smith donated the artwork now hanging throughout the centre. He attended the opening.
The trust wants the service to reach beyond the hospital over time, through community activities and partnerships. It has not yet said where or when.
What was said at the opening
Gemma Peters, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Everyone affected by cancer should be able to get the support they need, close to home. This new centre will make that easier for people living in Stockport.”
Michelle Davies, the trust’s associate director of nursing for cancer, said people affected by cancer “may need emotional, practical and financial support, as well as information and guidance, at different points in their cancer journey.”
Karen James OBE, the trust’s chief executive, called it “a fantastic new resource for local people”.
Also new at Stepping Hill: a bigger urgent treatment centre
The trust has also opened a new urgent treatment centre next to the hospital’s main emergency department. It announced it on 5 October.
The new building has five consultation rooms. Clinical teams there see two groups of patients:
- people who come to A&E with minor injuries
- people sent through primary care, such as their GP surgery
The trust says the new build replaces inefficient, ageing space and separates urgent treatment from outpatient work. It says that has increased assessment capacity and eased pressure on the emergency department. Warden Construction Ltd was the main contractor.
It follows the hospital’s main emergency and urgent care campus, which fully opened in May 2025. The trust says waiting times and ambulance handovers have improved since then. It has not published figures alongside the announcement.
What it means for you
- If you or someone close to you has cancer, you can turn up at the Macmillan centre on any weekday between 10am and 4pm. You do not need a referral or an appointment. You can also call 0161 419 4582 first.
- Money worries are part of what it covers. Ask about benefits, travel costs to treatment, insurance and work. The Citizens Advice slots are by appointment, so ask the centre team how to get one.
- For a minor injury, Stepping Hill’s urgent treatment centre is now in a new building beside A&E. If you are unsure where to go, call NHS 111 first.
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