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"Much easier than I ever anticipated"

About: Oncology / Radiotherapy

(as the patient),

Four weeks after my operation I began four weeks of radiotherapy in Ninewells hospital. I received wonderful care during my treatment. From the moment I walked through the door, I was met with warm smiles and a welcoming atmosphere.

Everyone I encountered was incredibly kind, caring, and encouraging. Their positive attitudes and willingness to answer my questions truly helped to raise my spirits throughout my journey.

Thanks to their dedication and compassion, my experience in the radiotherapy department was much easier than I ever anticipated.

P.S.

Having no prior experience as a hospital in-patient, I was astounded by the intricate web of disciplines and the multitude of staff involved in my treatment. The collective expenses—covering staff salaries, laboratories, medications, equipment, and infrastructure—must have been staggering. Unfortunately, our National Health Service faces challenges, and it appears that insufficient investment contributes significantly to the crisis.

One key factor might be the public’s lack of awareness regarding treatment costs. To address this, it may be worth considering providing patients with an “itemised invoice” after treatment. Such an invoice could transparently break down the costs, emphasising the value of investing in the NHS. Crucially, this process should not add to administrative burdens.

Looking ahead, integrating this approach into future IT systems, perhaps leveraging Artificial Intelligence, could enhance cost transparency. In the interim, you could explore providing estimates based on data from the UK and comparable countries.

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Responses

Response from Robert Kelly, Clinical Support Worker, Radiotherapy, NHS Tayside 2 weeks ago
Robert Kelly
Clinical Support Worker, Radiotherapy,
NHS Tayside
Submitted on 10/04/2024 at 10:35
Published on Care Opinion at 10:35


Dear camelopardaliscs75, thank you very much for taking the time to feedback your experience of our Radiotherapy Department. My name is Bob, one of the Support Workers who would have welcomed you to our department. It is gratifying to hear that you were made to feel comfortable as soon as you entered our department as that is exactly the type of environment we wish to create. Our Therapeutic Radiographers and Oncology Support Nurses do try to be informative and compassionate and I will certainly pass on your kind words to them, thank you.

Your observations regarding the complexity and differing ranges of costs coupled with your suggestion of itemised invoicing is interesting and this will be passed on to our Head of Therapeutic Radiography.

On behalf of everyone here, I hope you benefit from your treatments and wish you well for the future.

Kind regards... Bob

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