Keith’s Experience
Keith is a retired gentleman in his late 70s living in Folkestone, Kent. He was diagnosed two years ago with lymphoma and the cancer remains under his arm in the lymph nodes.
He has been visiting the Hope for Tomorrow mobile cancer care unit for regular infusion treatments for his cancer; Keith goes along every three weeks for this treatment.
According to Keith his treatment has been made so much easier in terms of visiting the unit as it is “literally five minutes up the road from his house in the car”. He states that this has made his life much “less restrictive” which he attributes to the convenience and proximity of the unit.
His other two options for receiving the regular infusions would involve either a 24-mile or 32-mile round trip in the car, to access the closest hospitals where he could be alternatively receiving the treatment. As a pensioner, Keith is careful about his financial outgoings and as he says, the “cost of travelling” to these other options over the past couple of years has become prohibitive.
Keith describes the unit as “convenient and very well set up”. The bus is always very clean and well equipped, and as a major bonus the “waiting times are negligible”. Additionally, according to Keith, the staff on board cannot be outdone for their knowledge and professionalism.
Although Keith has not struck up relationships with fellow visitors to the unit, he feels that the nurses “know me as a person” not just another patient. This is reassuring in difficult circumstances as is the fact that the two drivers on the bus are always regular and recognise and acknowledge Keith when he hops on board.
Keith ultimately feels that the units are a “godsend” as it keeps people local, and not having to travel miles to access the cancer treatment they need. In his words it “makes so much more sense rather than having people traipsing all over the country”. His final positive words of praise for the units are “keep on with the good work”.
