Wednesday 11 January 2017

The expansion of the interventional service for our patients in 2017 is something we look forward to greatly - Alex Gosling

Alex Gosling, Radiology Lead Nurse

Alex Gosling

I have been working at The Christie, within interventional radiology as the radiology lead nurse for just over a year now and I am very lucky to say I work with such a fantastic team. We are a very small but dedicated team of three nurses who work very closely with our coordinator, radiographers and consultant radiologists with the goal of providing the very best patient care

Interventional radiology is where X-rays, ultrasound or CT imaging are used to guide very thin wires and catheters into specific parts of the body. This can be for both diagnostic and treatment purposes and can reduce the need for surgery or more invasive treatments. We are able to undertake a very large range of procedures ranging from ultrasound guided biopsies to vascular procedures that can give radiotherapy treatment directly into liver tumours.

Although the role of the nurses is predominantly to support the patients and assist the doctors in the provision of care during interventional procedures, we also run a unique but very successful drop in clinic with the nutritional nurse for patients who have gastrostomy feeding tubes. Within this clinic we are able to provide practical help but more importantly we are there to give support and advice at any time within the working week. We are very fortunate that we are able to build strong and trusting relationships with our patients through this service.

I have found over the last 11 years working in interventional radiology, that there is often a lack of understanding regarding the speciality, not only for patients and their relatives but also for other staff members within the hospital setting. 

As a team, in 2017, it is our intention to raise the profile of interventional radiology especially as we have a very exciting and anticipated move in April to the new integrated procedures unit (IPU). Interventional radiology will be moving to the new unit along with the procedure team, pain team, day case theatre, endoscopy and plastics. This will be a major step forward for us as a team but also for The Christie as a hospital. 
Interventional radiology nursing team

Presently, we are operating at capacity with just one interventional room. With the opening of two new rooms planned in the IPU, the service will not only expand but will have provision for undertaking more advanced and intricate procedures. The addition of the state of the art advanced 3D interventional suite will mean that we will be a European reference centre with the ability to record and live stream complex cases all over the world. 

The amount of charity work that has been carried out to enable this expansion and improvement is overwhelming and as a team we are delighted to be the subject of this year’s Christie charity ball. This can only enhance the status of interventional radiology.

Our priority is always to provide the very best patient care. We wish for our patients to have as smooth a journey as possible and for optimum outcomes to be achieved. The enormity of what we will potentially be able to achieve with the expansion of the interventional service for our patients in the future is tremendous and something we look forward to greatly. 

To find out how you can help to support the new Interventional Radiology suite please visit our fundraising page or you can help to support The Christie's new Integrated Procedures Unit

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