"St Luke's Cancer Centre"

The words cancer and radiotherapy are not ones that you want to hear and on doing so I immediately experienced many concerns and worries. It was thus with more than a little trepidation that I attended the the first preliminary session at St. Luke's.

The first thing I noticed was that compared with the bustle of the busy main hospital the radiotherapy unit had a far calmer atmosphere. At the first session not only were the necessary tests etc made but I was also given much helpful information and I soon felt reassured. This was helped because the people I saw not only gave advice but had time to listen as I spoke of my concerns. I certainly left feeling far less apprehensive than I had been. I was given given written information, a DVD about radiotherapy and a contact telephone number. I did use this number and left a message - as promised I was called back later the same day with the answer to my query.

I thus felt well prepared for the twenty radiotherapy sessions and again appreciated that I was being treated in a particularly well-run department with friendly, cheerful, helpful and caring staff and I appreciated that I was being treated as an individual and not just another patient. Above all I was reassured that what could easily have been an alarming experience was not so. On a couple of occasions they were running behind schedule but a member of staff told me about the delay and when I needed to take drink the necessary water.

The regular Radiographer reviews were helpful and special mention must be made of the excellent Consultant Radiographer that I saw on several occasions. I would like to record my thanks to them and all the members of their team. This was the NHS at its best - long may it continue!