Teams praised for cancer care
MYELOMA CHARITY GIVES THEM AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
TEAMS at Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Hospital Burton have been presented with awards for their dedication and care to cancer patients.
Representatives from Myeloma UK presented the teams with Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) awards for their work in treating patients with myeloma – an incurable form of blood cancer which claims the lives of around 3,000 patients in the UK each year.
Myeloma can be difficult to diagnose as its symptoms are often vague and can be attributed to ageing or other minor conditions which can delay diagnosis. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.
The team at Royal Derby Hospital team has achieved CSEP accreditation for the first time and was praised for its teamwork, close working relationship with other departments and focus on development and growth.
The Haematology Team at Queen’s Hospital Burton achieved reaccreditation, four years after becoming an accredited centre, becoming the first centre in the country to do so. The team was singled out for its ability to quickly adapt in the wake of the pandemic, offer online support and switch to virtual clinics to keep extremely vulnerable patients.
Colleagues also formed a multidisciplinary team combining specialist colleagues from cardiology, renal, gastroenterology and haematology to provide dedicated support for patients with AL amyloidosis; a condition related to myeloma.
Christine Skeet, Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Royal Derby Hospital, said: “I am thrilled that we have been awarded the Myeloma UK CSEP accreditation. This means such a lot to the myeloma
team. We are a close-knit team who work incredibly hard to provide patients with the best possible care, support and treatment.
“To hear such positive feedback from patients was uplifting and inspiring, as they are at the heart of all we do”.
Dr Firas Al-Kaisi, Consultant Haematologist at Royal Derby Hospital, added: “We are very proud with the care and the treatment we provide our patients and achieving the award is an admission to this level of care.
“We were also very humbled to hear the feedback our patients gave us and are very glad our care lives up to their expectations and that their needs and concerns are listened to.”
John Gibson, 59, from Long Eaton, has been receiving treatment at the Royal Derby Hospital since 2019 and was keen to offer his thanks and praise to the care he has received.
He said: “It’s a first-class team of professionals, who were there for me at my diagnosis and since then. I’ve been through this rollercoaster ride – I’m still on it – and knowing they’ve been on this ride with me has really helped.
“The team are always there at the other end of the phone. They’ve supported me every step of the way with top-quality advice, care and compassion. They are very focused on the patient as an individual with individual circumstances. They always go that extra mile on my behalf.”