'Spa refused me a massage because I have cancer'

A woman who was turned away from a massage at a spa because of her illness has backed calls to tackle the "misinformation" around treatments and their suitability for cancer patients.

Sindy Sidhu from Warrington said she now felt too intimated to try other spas after her negative experience.

She has instead been getting help from the Made For Life Foundation, a charity fighting for spas and salons to end policies banning staff from treating cancer patients.

Carden Park Spa in Cheshire has backed the campaign, and director Emma Pridding, admitted the industry "had been a little guarded" in treating those with cancer due to insurance concerns and false fears it could cause harm.

Ms Sidhu, 60, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, and said that "touch is something that you do need".

She added that after ticking that she had cancer on a form, a spa informed her that she could not have any of the treatments.

Ms Sidhu continued: "Now I don't ask the question.

"It's ironic because I have a therapist at the hospice that gives me massages but when it comes to spas, I don't ask because I felt quite intimidated, and I don't want to feel like that again."

Ms Sidhu instead started attending Tea and Therapy events, a wellbeing event for people with cancer, where they can socialise, receive guidance, and get massages.

Tea and Therapy is run across the UK by Amanda Winwood, founder of the Made for Life Foundation and Jamie Edwards, a performance coach from Manchester.

It aims to offer a safe space for women with cancer, acting as a temporary solution for the issues within some parts of the spa industry.

Ms Winwood said: "It’s important to have facilities like this to stop the social isolation that happens when you get a cancer diagnosis.

Mr Edwards added: “Change needs to happen. The impact of having these events is going to be down the road and we can only do that by speaking about it, having conversations and not avoiding the difficult topics.”