My treatment has only taken 45 minutes to an hour, which is still a pretty quick process
Alan, who lives in Sudbury, was diagnosed in March 2021 with terminal lung cancer, and was given a prognosis of two years to live.
He recalls: “I was put on a course of chemo at West Suffolk Hospital before switching to immunotherapy, and then in October of that year, I contracted sepsis. I don’t remember being that ill, but I must’ve been as I spent three weeks on the MacMillan Ward.”
After Alan was discharged from the ward, the consensus was for him to continue with the immunotherapy. Fast forward a year later, and countless trips to hospital for his regular treatment, he was then told about the mobile unit by a nurse.
“One of the nurses came up to me and asked, “Have you thought about using the mobile cancer care unit?” To which I replied, “Sorry, but I don’t really know what you’re talking about!” So, she explained to me what it was, and I told her I was more than happy to try it, and that’s where we are now.”
Although the journey to the hospital took him around 20 minutes by car, the unit, which is located at Sudbury Health Centre, is only five minutes from his home, which not only saves time but also helps lower his stress levels. He also feels that having more units at sites around the UK would take the pressure off the NHS.
Alan says: “Don’t get me wrong, the services on both the unit and at the hospital are always first class.
But the fact is the unit just saves me having to drive to West Suffolk as well as potentially alleviating some of the pressure the hospital staff are under because they’ve got to treat so many other patients.
The patients vary, as does the type of treatment, with some “just going to the unit for an injection which usually takes a few minutes, while other people are having full chemotherapy sessions that can take up to two and a half hours. My treatment has only taken 45 minutes to an hour, which is still a pretty quick process.”
He finds the access to his treatment on the unit “very, very convenient,” which he now receives once every three weeks. He is due to finish in a couple of months. He particularly sees the unit as being of great benefit to other patients who are not as mobile.
“It does save me a few quid on fuel, but to be honest, I’m one of the lucky ones. There are people who visit the unit who are limited with their mobility; for instance, some are in wheelchairs. The unit has disabled access to enable them to get lifted onboard. I imagine attending hospital is a lot harder for them just to get from A to B – with the unit, there are no lengthy corridors to walk down for a start! There was a chap I met the other day who was on crutches – for people in a similar situation, the unit is an excellent thing.”
My treatment has only taken 45 minutes to an hour, which is still a pretty quick process
Alan, who lives in Sudbury, was diagnosed in March 2021 with terminal lung cancer, and was given a prognosis of two years to live.
He recalls: “I was put on a course of chemo at West Suffolk Hospital before switching to immunotherapy, and then in October of that year, I contracted sepsis. I don’t remember being that ill, but I must’ve been as I spent three weeks on the MacMillan Ward.”
After Alan was discharged from the ward, the consensus was for him to continue with the immunotherapy. Fast forward a year later, and countless trips to hospital for his regular treatment, he was then told about the mobile unit by a nurse.
“One of the nurses came up to me and asked, “Have you thought about using the mobile cancer care unit?” To which I replied, “Sorry, but I don’t really know what you’re talking about!” So, she explained to me what it was, and I told her I was more than happy to try it, and that’s where we are now.”
Although the journey to the hospital took him around 20 minutes by car, the unit, which is located at Sudbury Health Centre, is only five minutes from his home, which not only saves time but also helps lower his stress levels. He also feels that having more units at sites around the UK would take the pressure off the NHS.
Alan says: “Don’t get me wrong, the services on both the unit and at the hospital are always first class.
But the fact is the unit just saves me having to drive to West Suffolk as well as potentially alleviating some of the pressure the hospital staff are under because they’ve got to treat so many other patients.
The patients vary, as does the type of treatment, with some “just going to the unit for an injection which usually takes a few minutes, while other people are having full chemotherapy sessions that can take up to two and a half hours. My treatment has only taken 45 minutes to an hour, which is still a pretty quick process.”
He finds the access to his treatment on the unit “very, very convenient,” which he now receives once every three weeks. He is due to finish in a couple of months. He particularly sees the unit as being of great benefit to other patients who are not as mobile.
“It does save me a few quid on fuel, but to be honest, I’m one of the lucky ones. There are people who visit the unit who are limited with their mobility; for instance, some are in wheelchairs. The unit has disabled access to enable them to get lifted onboard. I imagine attending hospital is a lot harder for them just to get from A to B – with the unit, there are no lengthy corridors to walk down for a start! There was a chap I met the other day who was on crutches – for people in a similar situation, the unit is an excellent thing.”
