The Christie named as the world’s most technologically advanced cancer centre outside of North America - Professor Chris Harrison

Professor Chris Harrison, Executive Medical Director

Professor Chris Harrison

There is a lot of building work going on at The Christie at the moment and we are also investing a lot of money in new technology. 

Anyone who is familiar with our main site in Withington will know that the landscape has changed considerably in the last 10 years and the work we have done is now paying dividends.

I was delighted to find out recently that The Christie has been named as the world’s most technologically advanced cancer centre outside of North America according to the web site Top Masters in Healthcare. It has painstakingly researched 100 top cancer centres across the world and ranked them according to the level of cutting edge technology available for treatment and diagnosis. You can read more about this here.

Our technology not only helps us provide great medical care but also helps maintain the first rate experience of care reported by our patients.  

Unsurprisingly the centres ranked top are the major US centres such as Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York and MD Anderson in Texas. However, the technology at The Christie including our cutting edge radiotherapy, chemotherapy centres and mobile delivery, advanced imaging techniques, brachytherapy, robotic surgery, developing integrated procedures unit, the developing proton beam centre and our integrated clinical trials unit put us 9th in the world and top ranked outside North America.  

This confirms previous findings that The Christie has all eight of the technologies identified by The US top hospital programme as being the hallmarks of a world leading cancer centre. These include our advanced radiotherapy capability, PET scanning and the ability to undertake robotic surgery. 

Of course availability of cutting edge technology is only one aspect of providing world class cancer care but surely it has to be one of the ingredients needed to provide world class care. The gold standard of a world class service must be the outcomes of care for the people we serve in communities across England and the quality of experience of that care. 


No technology can completely overcome the difficulties of treating cancer once it has spread and so we need to continue to find ways to allow cancer to be diagnosed early - this is what the new cancer vanguard in Manchester is working on. That said, it is comforting to know that right here in Manchester we have some of the best facilities in the world to diagnose and treat cancer.  

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to The Christie for saving my leg - John Burns

John Burns, Christie patient

John Burns

In the spring of 2015 I noticed a reddish spot on my lower left leg and went to get it checked out. It turned out that a tumour had developed over the previous 12 months, but due to me having Gross Lymphoedema in both legs, the tumor itself was not apparent until approximately six months prior to my referral to Manchester Royal Infirmary for various tests.

Following MRI scans, ECGs, blood tests, x-rays and other tests, my wife and I were told that the tumor was cancerous and that the only two alternatives were amputation of my leg or to try and remove the tumor by surgery. It was stressed that due to the cancer being extremely close to the shin bone it was considered doubtful of a good outcome. In spite of this I was referred to Mr Kosutic at The Christie.

When I met with Mr Kosutic, his first opinion was that amputation seemed the best option, but he and a colleague decided to check with a further scan. They confirmed that the cancer was only a few millimetres away from the shinbone.

Although a little doubtful, Mr Kosutic said he would operate and hopefully save my leg - a very brave decision – but somehow I had every faith in him, and six months later it is so far so good.

Prior to the operation it was explained to me that it would be a rather large wound, and so it turned out to be (19cm long by 14.5cm wide).

After the operation I needed special dressings that were put on in layers, with a 28mm thick sponge in between covering the wound. The outer layer had an outlet attached to a vacuum pump which compressed the dressing and sponge to the wound, and at the same time removed all the blood and lymph fluid, depositing it into a canister which was regularly changed. This marvellous machine allows healing to take place more rapidly.

The dressings were changed every five days for four weeks. This took a great deal of care and an unbelievable amount of patience, skill and good nature on the part of the nursing staff - angels every one of them! After I was discharged, I was transferred to the Bolton District nursing care.

In October 2015 I was re-admitted overnight for a skin graft operation. It went unbelievably well and I stopped using the vacuum pump after 10 weeks. I don't think the wound would have healed so quickly without the pump.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr Kosutic for his wonderful skill, the skill of his team both in and out of theatre, and also to all of the nurses and staff on Ward 10 and the Surgical Ward who looked after me during my time at The Christie. Thank you all.

Half of all people born since 1960, the year I was born, will at some stage in their lives be diagnosed with cancer - Professor Chris Harrison

Professor Chris Harrison, Executive Medical Director at The Christie

Professor Chris Harrison

The Christie’s Executive Medical Director, Professor Chris Harrison has been appointed NHS England’s new National Clinical Director for Cancer, from 1st April 2016. In this new role, Professor Harrison will work with NHS England’s National Cancer Director, Cally Palmer, to implement the national five year cancer strategy, ‘Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020’. 

Here, he blogs about his new role and how he will use his experience of improving cancer care at The Christie.

I am delighted to be joining the national cancer team to work with Cally Palmer, the National Cancer Director, and other team members in implementing the national strategy, “Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes”.

We have a lot more to do if we are to achieve the objective of bringing about radical improvement in the outcomes that the NHS delivers for people affected by cancer. But it can be done and by setting out a vision for what cancer patients should expect from the health service, the strategy sets out how.

All of us working in health care have responsibility for people who have, or may have cancer. Half of all people born since 1960, the year I was born, will at some stage in their lives be diagnosed with cancer.

I was first introduced to cancer care as a medical student on the wards of hospitals in Manchester witnessing some of the huge variations in care and attitudes prevalent at that time. As a young hospital doctor I was thrown, unprepared, into discussing the possibility of cancer with patients and their relatives. Later I saw more of the wider impact on families and some of the difficulties of diagnosis as I sat with and learned from experienced and compassionate GPs in Lancashire. Cancer affected my own family and close friends with an impact going far beyond the medical aspects of treatment.

These early experiences shaped much of my later career by convincing me that we could prevent many cancers by organised efforts to support people and communities. And that we should be organising and leading cancer services more professionally so that specialist care, including palliative and supportive care, was available to all.

Much has changed since then but the twin aims of prevention and improving services remain at the core of the national programme, and is an important reason why I am so pleased to be involved.

In the 1990s, as a Director of Public Health in Lancashire, I had the privilege of overseeing plans for the new cancer centre in Preston with the associated development of the system of cancer care across the county. Later, as Regional Cancer Director in the North West, I led a peer review visiting programme to every hospital in the region, seeing for myself the opportunities to standardise and improve hospital care, and also through our primary care programme the importance of excellent primary care.

For 11 years I’ve been a trust medical director in both a specialised cancer centre – The Christie in Manchester – and then a large group of teaching hospitals – Imperial College Healthcare in West London. Both areas have moved towards ways of working between cancer services which allow whole pathways to be thought of and managed coherently rather than in isolation. I have seen at first hand the challenges and opportunities for cancer care both in highly specialised centres and also acute hospitals, but if we are to make the step change in cancer outcomes called for in the national strategy all parts of the health system must work together within the national framework.

The number of people with cancer will continue to increase and if our efforts at prevention and treatment are successful there will be more people alive with and surviving cancer in older age groups each year. This is one reason why improving the experience of cancer care is vital and given the same level of importance as improvements in survival and treatment.

At the same time the NHS faces unprecedented financial pressures and we must find new ways of organising and doing things. This means challenging existing approaches to develop effective mechanisms for commissioning and funding, and finding creative ways to work with voluntary, charitable and commercial organisations.

It also means challenging some ways of organising services, for example, finding faster more convenient ways of patients and GPs being able to access tests, using the whole range of professional skills available in the NHS, and using the lessons from the national cancer vanguard pilots.

National action alone cannot achieve these objectives but it can set the framework for local decisions and developments. I see my role as providing a focus for clinical advice into national policy and, as importantly providing support, encouragement and guidance to those seeking to improve outcomes for cancer patients and their families across the country.

Enhanced Supportive Care makes excellent cancer care possible - Dr Richard Berman

Dr Richard Berman - Christie consultant 

Dr Richard Berman

Cancer is changing. With better treatments, more and more people are surviving, or living longer than ever before. And as a palliative care consultant at The Christie, this means that my role has changed too.

I still work hard to ensure excellent care for patients at the end of their lives; but increasingly, I help patients much earlier, during their cancer treatment, by providing specialist care to manage their pain and symptoms. This means that we actually help patients to get through their cancer treatments, in a positive way.

And in fact, evidence from around the world shows that earlier involvement of supportive and palliative care in cancer care results in better outcomes for patients, including the potential to extend their survival.

This represents a real opportunity for palliative care. But if we want to be part of cancer care earlier, does the term ‘palliative care’ still fit?

I think it doesn’t matter where patients are in their cancer journey, people always need hope. They need to feel that the health professionals looking after them are working with them in a positive way, and doing their best to keep them feeling as well as possible, for as long as possible.

So we needed a very positive vision; a new approach to delivering palliative care. How about the term ‘Supportive Care’?

‘Supportive care’ is the management and prevention of the adverse effects of cancer or cancer treatments. At The Christie we developed this into ‘Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC)’, an initiative that promotes the earlier integration of supportive care within cancer care.

There are 6 principles:

• Much earlier involvement of supportive care services in cancer care
• Teams that support cancer patients should work more closely together
• We should adopt a much more positive approach to supportive care
• Cutting edge and evidence-based practice in supportive and palliative care
• Technology to improve our communication and way of working
• Best practice in care of patients undergoing chemotherapy

And we’ve taken some bold (but simple) steps to make this work.

The Christie has renamed our palliative care team to the ‘supportive care team’ to help break down the barriers to achieving earlier involvement of palliative care expertise.

We have worked much more closely with our oncology teams, in their clinics, and on the wards.

We have focussed much more on minimising the side effects of supportive care treatments and provide up-to-date pain and symptom management – not only to improve and maintain quality of life, but also to help patients through their chemotherapy treatments.

And we not only support patients with advanced cancer, but also those who are living with cancer as a long term illness and cancer survivors.

The work we have done around integration with oncology and early intervention has increased patient and carer satisfaction, reduced hospital admissions and most importantly, given patients hope.

ESC has been recognised nationally by NHS England, and received a national QiC (Quality in Care) patient care pathway award in February 2016.

Now, I’m delighted to be able to play a role – as NHS England’s National Clinical Lead – in encouraging and supporting more cancer centres to adopt this kind of approach. As part of this, we have recently produced guidance for providers and professionals which will help them think about how they identify and meet the changing needs of cancer patients as they go through their treatment journey.

Enhanced Supportive Care is a new initiative aimed at addressing more fully the needs of cancer patients – in particular, preventing and managing the adverse physical and psychological effects of cancer and its treatment.

Cancer can take a huge toll on those who are living with it, whatever their prognosis. But as this programme is phased in over the coming months and years, I am confident that we will be doing the best we can to reduce that toll for thousands of patients.

Dr Richard Berman FRCP is a Consultant in Supportive & Palliative Care at The Christie. He is also NHS England’s National Clinical Lead for Enhanced Supportive Care.

For more details of the supportive care services offered at The Christie, please visit www.christie.nhs.uk/services/r-to-z/the-supportive-care-team/

A tiny bit of pain is nothing compared to what cancer patients are going through - Bex Smalley

Bex Smalley, Christie fundraiser and former patient

Bex Smalley

People often ask me why I do so many charity events, especially the more daring ones. As well as the fact I am a secret adrenaline junkie, I tell them that I will always do these events for as long as I can, because without The Christie hospital I wouldn't be here today. 

When I was 17 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. By the time they found it they said it had been growing for a few years as the main tumour was so large. The tumour had also collapsed my lung and there were three other tumours too. 

I received treatment at The Christie, which consisted of strong chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was hard. And as a teenager I missed out on a lot of things over the space of that year. And although the treatment was difficult it worked and saved my life. 

Since then I have done fundraising events almost every year (skipping a year or two when I had my miracle baby after being told I would never be able to have children due to the strength of the treatment I received).

The events I have done have varied from parties, walks and runs to skydives and at the end of last week, The Christie’s first ever firewalk! 

One of my friends at work told me about the event and I had seen it in The Christie newsletter too, but I wasn't sure about doing it until I was asked to join by my friend Julie. Julie’s husband is currently receiving treatment at The Christie. 

After signing up, I expected that in my fundraising kit I would read about how it is all an illusion and we wouldn't really we walking on hot coals! But that wasn't the case. So in the weeks leading up to the event I was getting more and more nervous. 

When the day came I plucked up the courage to turn up and we received an hour’s training. The trainer was a world record holder for walking on hot coals! He told us all that although it seems impossible to be able to put our bare skin on something so hot, it is in fact very possible and wouldn't cause any lasting effects. 

After the training session we were taken outside and put into groups. 

This is when I saw the hot embers and my fear kicked in again. But our trainer was the first one to walk across to show us that it can be done with ease. 

When it was my turn I stood staring at the glowing coals and my brain was telling me I was foolhardy to be considering this. But the crowd was cheering me on and I set off. 

It felt like I thought it would, like I was walking across extremely hot coals, some small embers were sneaking in between my toes and burning my skin, but the walk wasn't long and by the time I was off I was wiping my feet and dipping them into buckets of ice water. 

The team then asked me if I wanted another go and of course I said yes. 

After two walks across the ‘fire’ I was surprised to see that there were no blisters or raw skin and that my feet weren't sore at all. 

I would definitely recommend others try this event as it helps to conquer fear and also it isn't an average fundraising event either, which I think is the reason why I managed to raise over £1500! Thanks to all my friends and colleagues who sponsored me.
  
So I will keep on doing these events, no matter how outlandish they seem at first, because it is all worth it to help such an important hospital and support the hard work that they do every day to save more and more lives. 

A tiny bit of pain is nothing compared to what the patients are going through and all the money goes towards a better future for people living with cancer.

If you want to know more about our charity fundraising activities please go to www.christies.org/get-involved/ 

As the senior sister on Ward 1, the results of the Friends and Family Test are extremely important to me and my team - Emma Turner

Emma Turner, senior sister on Ward 1

Emma Turner, senior sister on Ward 1

As the senior sister on Ward 1, it’s really important to me and my team of dedicated nurses that we deliver the very best possible standards of care for our patients. Patient care is always our top priority at The Christie, no matter which part of the hospital you are in. 

Getting feedback from our patients is one of the most important ways we can find out how we are doing and learn what we need to do to drive improvements to our service. 

One of the best ways we have to gather feedback is through a survey called the Friends and Family Test (FFT), an anonymous survey which we ask all of our patients to complete when they are discharged.

The Friends and Family Test asks patients two questions; how likely they are to recommend our ward and what were the best/worst aspects of the service. The results of the FFT highlight the aspects of our care which make a difference to our patients and how we can make it even better. The percentage of patients who are ‘extremely likely’ to recommend our care is also fed back monthly as the ‘Friends and family score’.

As the senior sister on Ward 1, the results of the FFT are extremely important to me and my colleagues.

The feedback allows us to focus on what really matters to our patients, driving us to provide world class care that is centred on the patient experience.  By giving our patients a voice in the development of our service we have found that even small changes have improved their time with us.

Just one example of patient led change is our staff board. On the suggestion of a patient, we developed a board next to the nurses’ station which displays pictures of the nursing team on shift that day, their names, role and who they are looking after. The picture of the patient’s nurse that shift is also placed on the board next to their bed.

This has been warmly received by both the patients, relatives and by staff as it ensures a designated staff member can be recognised at all times. Personally, I feel that involving patients and listening to their feedback not only improves the ward but reminds them that their individual journey is at the heart of our care.

As well as allowing patients a chance to steer the development of the ward, the FFT also allows them to give the ward positive feedback. For me, informing staff of the praise we receive is one of the best parts of my job. It reminds staff that the work and dedication they put in really makes a difference, and that good care changes lives.

After some incredible feedback I just had to make a poster displaying some of the comments on the ward because everyone deserves to be reminded that, and I quote, we provide the same service as a “5 star hotel.” This type of feedback gives us all the drive to give that little bit extra every time, as well as reassuring new patients about the quality of our care.

Finally the FFT score provides us with the ultimate review of the care we provide – whether they would recommend the ward to their friends and family - or not. I am proud to say that since the official opening of Ward 1 we have never dropped below 96%. And have had the best score in of any wards at The Christie since October 2015.

This score reflects that the care we provide is gold standard and patient centric, reassures new patients that they are safe in our hands and encourages our staff to always go the extra mile.

So if you are a Christie patient, please take a few minutes to fill out the Friends and Family Test. Your feedback really does make a difference and helps us to improve care for all patients.

You can read more about the Friends and Family Test and see some of the feedback from our patients by visiting www.christie.nhs.uk/about-us/our-standards/patient-surveys/the-friends-and-family-test/

If any nurses are considering working at The Christie I would highly recommend coming to the recruitment open day - Lauren Hunstone

Lauren Hunstone – Critical Care Unit Healthcare Assistant

Lauren Hunstone - Healthcare Assistant

My core inspiration to pursue a career in nursing came from watching how the nurses and staff cared for both my grandmas in the last days of their lives. I then went on to do various nursing home jobs and realised that nursing was definitely the career for me. 

After gaining experience and working for the evening community nursing service I felt I had enough transferable skills to work on a ward. I applied for a number of healthcare assistant posts in hospitals in the Stockport area and had no luck due to my lack of direct ward experience - so my confidence level fell.

Then I saw an advert on Facebook about a recruitment open day at The Christie back in October and as a lot of my nursing colleagues were already aware of my passion to become a nurse they also informed me of this fantastic opportunity.

I started to do some research; phoning the human resources team at The Christie to see what the recruitment day would entail and then did some online preparation as well. They said if I was a suitable candidate and could pass the Maths and English test, I would be interviewed, and if successful at this stage even given a position on the day. 

This was a very exciting prospect and I felt I really needed to do my absolute best to show I was competent to work in a ward based environment and that the skills I had would be beneficial to The Christie.

I also wanted to show I was enthusiastic to learn more in the future. I went through a number of competency based questions with a work colleague, who helped me to prepare for the interview and helped me understand what to expect. 

When the day came I was very nervous, but also excited to see what the day had to offer. It was a 10am start so I got there with plenty of time to spare. I had already filled out the online application form and brought along appropriate identification as advised, so I felt ready and prepared.

The recruitment area was full of lots of staff - all very friendly and welcoming. I could also see that it was going to get very busy, with lots of candidates excited at the prospect of working in such a lovely and positive hospital. 

To me, somebody who wants to study to become a staff nurse, the prospect of working at The Christie was so exciting. Being given the opportunity to work with such inspirational people and able to progress in the future is amazing.

All the candidates were split into small groups and the first thing we did was go on a tour of the hospital with one of the matrons at The Christie, Lyn Bushell. It was so interesting to see all the different departments of the hospital. 

I have been to The Christie before, to visit a relative, however coming back as a possible future member of staff was very different. There is an instant feeling of warmth when you enter The Christie. 

During the tour Lyn told us she had worked in a number of different roles across the hospital in various departments, before becoming a matron. This helped me to realise that The Christie is the kind of place where you are given the opportunity to progress and further your skills in areas that interest you. 

After the tour we took a simple Maths and English test. I was really worried about this, even though I did reasonably well at GCSE. But it was nothing to worry about as the majority of the questions are common sense.

I then had to wait to find out if I had passed the tests - which was the longest 15 minutes of my whole life!! 

Finally, I had my interview. The questions I had gone through with my colleague and the research I had done made me feel really confident as I felt I could answer each question fully. I also felt that the questions I was asked related to my own personal experiences which helped me to respond with relevant details.

A few days later (because so many people had applied) I got a call to say they wanted to offer me a 30 hour contract on Critical Care. This was literally the best news I've ever had. I cried on the phone and couldn't believe that my dream of working in a hospital environment, helping patients like my grandma was actually coming true. 

I have now been working on Critical Care for over two months and I absolutely love it. The experience and skills in caring for critically ill patients is invaluable to my nursing career. Over the next few years I hope to study for a degree in adult nursing.

I know that there is another recruitment open day coming up on 5th March – this time just for qualified staff nurses.

If any nurses are considering working at The Christie I would highly recommend coming to the recruitment open day. It’s a great way to find out what it’s really like to work here, you get to meet some lovely people and they do everything possible to see the full potential in you.

Prepare well for it because you never know what you might get asked, dress smartly, but most importantly good luck!

Staff nurse recruitment open day – Saturday 5th March 2016  from 10am to 2pm. Education Centre, The Christie, Manchester, M20 4BX. Apply at via NHS Jobs.
  

I had to try and find the very best cutting edge treatments that were being trialled - Diane Brooks

Diane Brooks - Christie Phase 1 Clinical Trials Patient

Diane Brooks

I became a patient at The Christie over 14 years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. It wasn’t unexpected as I had a strong family history of the disease and soon after I discovered that it was a genetic fault and I was in fact a BRCA2 carrier.

Breast cancer was always part of my family and that’s why I was always interested in being a part of the research and learning aspect of my disease. I knew it could be a huge game-changer in my family’s future health.

Following surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy I remained cancer free until the summer of 2008 when it returned. It was a day I had always dreaded but somehow knew would come, as my cancer was aggressive and I knew from watching my mum struggle, it was going to try and beat me too.  

Once I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to be cured, I set about trying to ‘live’ with my particular type of disease. Always thinking about the lack of understanding and choices of treatment my mum was probably faced with, I had to try and find the very best cutting edge treatments that were being trialled. Thankfully being a Christie patient meant that I was in the right place.

I was lucky enough to be part of trials involving existing chemotherapy treatments that were being aimed at my particular type of disease, but it was in September 2010 that I embarked on my first Phase 1 Trial for an unlicensed drug. I thought it would be scary but in fact it was such a relief, despite the fact that I didn’t know how it was going to effect me, or whether in fact it was going to give me any quality of life. 

I recognised that I was very lucky to be accepted onto the trial and that it was available to me at The Christie. I had done as much homework as possible on my disease and just felt that this was the right treatment for me to try at this time. I was so lucky that it did in fact give me three years of being able to get on with my busy life with my husband, four children and my career. 

To know that you are contributing towards future cancer treatments that can have far reaching effects on others, gives me such a worthwhile feeling, and of course, I am also keen to invest in my family’s future, as they are all going to be affected by this hereditary disease in years to come. I want the doctors to learn as much as possible about our hereditary disease whilst I am alive, so I am always happy to put myself forward for appropriate drug trials in order for them to do their invaluable work.

Being a clinical trials patient has it’s ups and downs and can be intense at times, but the Phase 1 team is expert at guiding me through and helping me manage side effects, at the same time as gathering all their important data which will form part of future cancer treatments – it’s such a privilege to be part of something that is so much bigger than just me. I continue to marvel at how fast things are moving forward in research, and even though I am a small part of it by trying these new treatments, it gives me hope for the future.

I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending a patient to speak to their oncologist about clinical trials - “You don’t get if you don’t ask” is always my motto. However, you do have to fit certain criteria for each trial so it is never a done deal and you have to be realistic. It is important to follow strict guidelines with new drugs, but I have always felt in safe hands with the Phase 1 Team at The Christie, who will spend as much time as is needed to talk me through every step of the protocol attached to each trial.  We always refer to them as our “hospital family” and we have got to know them very well over the years. In fact it says a lot when I have been there longer than a lot of the staff – they must be doing something right!  

I will be celebrating my 51st birthday next month and yes, I am still a Phase 1 patient at The Christie, trying something new, with my husband, family and “hospital family” holding my hand and helping me through, but most of all I am still “living” with my inherited disease, and I continue to hope that many people in the future will benefit from the knowledge gained from research and clinical trials that I have been so very lucky to be a part of at The Christie.

The Christie’s NIHR Clinical Research Facility is a large, high quality, dedicated clinical research environment where our patients can participate in complex and early phase clinical trials. Around 400 clinical trials may be taking place at any one time. In 2016, the NIHR is celebrating ten years of funding and supporting clinical research in the NHS.  

Being a young person with cancer can make you feel isolated - Sophie Vohra

Sophie Vohra - Patient in our Teenage and Young Adult Unit

Sophie Vohra

At the age of 23, one of the last things you expect to hear is that you have cancer. In April I was diagnosed with a Ewing’s Sarcoma on my sacrum. I had been suffering increasingly from bad pains and numbness down my right leg since January, which became so unbearable during March that I finally decided to visit my GP. 

Initially, we both thought that the pains were due to sciatica and that I should try to reposition the slipped disc into place with NHS recommended exercises and using anti-inflammatories to help with any swelling. Over the next two weeks I was unable to sleep because of the pain when lying down, having visited the GP again for pain relief that didn’t have any effect. 

I finally accidentally aggravated it so much after I had been swimming that I went into retention and had to go into A&E as we thought it may in fact be Cauda Equina Syndrome, which would require immediate surgery. 

When I was transferred to Salford Royal, they scheduled me for an MRI, assuming they would see a  slipped disc. Sadly what we got back was worse. There was in fact a lump that was pressing onto my spinal cord and at that point they didn’t know what type of mass it was. I therefore had a biopsy and after having to wait around two weeks I was told it was malignant and by the end of the month I was told it was a Ewing’s Sarcoma that was pressing on my nerves. 

Each time I received another piece of the puzzle as to what it was I would get upset for a little while and then I would get my head round it all.  I knew I would get all the treatment I would need and that I would have the incredible support of all my friends and family throughout it.

I started my treatment at the end of April at The Christie, and everyone and everything from the minute I walked in was incredible. My family and I never felt like we weren’t getting all the information we needed and the organisation of my treatment from the beginning was so efficient. 

I had all the initial tests done, I was randomised onto a trial regarding the administration of the chemotherapy for Ewing’s Sarcomas, had a Hickman Line inserted, and began treatment in the space of a few days. 

The fourteen cycles of chemotherapy over the months were tough and my body certainly found its way around most of the side effects – sore mouth, achy body, no blood cells… the list goes on! My treatment cycles occurred every two weeks, whereas the standard treatment is every three weeks. This meant I had very little time to feel well enough to do anything because as soon as I had recovered from the chemotherapy I almost immediately started the next dose. 

Being around some of the nicest doctors, nurses and other staff you will ever meet was also really comforting when, for several months, you feel like you spend almost all of your life in hospital. 

I was also very lucky to be put forward for Proton Beam Therapy treatment in America, as my tumour cannot be operated on. This treatment means that, as opposed to standard radiotherapy, less damage has been inflicted on the area surrounding my tumour and hopefully I have less of a chance of secondary cancer which can be caused by treatment. Having all of this available to me has meant I have received all the best opportunities to try and beat this horrible disease.

The Christie also has teams in place to make sure that your social and mental needs are looked after. A cancer diagnosis means you are plucked out of normality for a while, which is a huge shock to the system. 

With having to spend long periods of time receiving treatment on the ward, one of the things I am incredibly grateful for is the amount of facilities and activities that were made available. 

Both the Palatine ward and the day unit are designed to allow younger patients, their families and friends to have as enjoyable a time as possible while going through some really difficult times. The hospital provides modern single-occupancy rooms, a social hub for when you want to spend at least a little time out of bed, access to games and DVDs from the games room and a gym space amongst many other amazing things. Many people who have visited me on the ward couldn’t believe how wonderful it was and questioned if it was in fact a hospital! 

These facilities are also available for anyone no longer receiving treatment, which means that former patients can come to events held on the ward for example. We have all manner of events organised for us within and outside the hospital. There are band rehearsals, art workshops, language lessons, cooking and baking, a pizza and film night every Wednesday, and seasonal events such as a Halloween party held on the ward just to name a few. 

The teams also get tickets for music and sporting events, organise meals and get-togethers, and generally encourage a lot of interaction between all former and current patients. These are advertised on their Facebook page so we can easily be kept in the know. 

Being a young person  with cancer can make you feel isolated because it is less likely that we have come across someone in our lives who is going through the same thing at the same age. So being able to relate to others who are, or have been, in the same position as you is very important in understanding and coming to terms with the experience you and those close to you are going through.

I have finally come to the end of my treatment, with only the post-treatment scans to happen now, and I know I couldn’t have got through it without the incredible support of every single person who works with Teenage and Young Adult  patients. 

No one should ever have to go through a life-threatening illness like cancer, but places like The Christie and the facilities they have for young patients mean that we can not only get through our treatment, but can also continue to live a fulfilling and happy life as we do. 

I can move on now with my life, having started my PhD last month at the University of York. 

But I also have a very important network of people who I am very glad I met out of such an awful experience, and I will stay in touch with this group of inspiring young people who have come together through The Christie and the incredible staff who have supported us.

People in Oldham have access to the best possible care and fantastic dedicated staff at The Christie at Oldham - Councillor Yasmin Toor

Councillor Yasmin Toor - Mayoress of Oldham

Councillor Yasmin Toor, Mayoress of Oldham

I have always wondered what happens inside the beautiful, big purpose built building that is The Christie at Oldham. Whenever I walked or drove past this amazing looking glass building lots of questions kept going on in my mind. I always wondered what life is like behind those mysterious doors. 

The Christie at Oldham treats cancer patients so it is very easy to imagine lots of people with sad faces that have lost hope for life. I worried that there were bed bound patients and my eyes filled with tears of sadness. Worrying about their lost hopes made me very upset.  

Thinking about this made me realise how precious life is and how important and meaningful relationships are. One minute we plan a full life and then the word ‘cancer’ can change everything – affecting our personality, relationships and lifestyle.

So my visit to The Christie at Oldham, with my husband, the Mayor of Oldham, during the autumn was a very ‘special’ visit. I stepped into the building with lots of questions, emotions and many different feelings.

The sun was shining above us and I took some sunshine with me so I could be strong. We were greeted by a very friendly face at the reception. There were a couple of patients sitting waiting for their appointment who we said hello to and our wonderful local Oldham Chronicle newspaper photographer Tony was there too.

Julie Davies, the Lead Radiographer at The Christie at Oldham, formally welcomed us and with the head of communications helped to show us round. The local newspaper wanted to take a quick photo and then we were shown around by two wonderful ladies, Julie and Maggie.

The atmosphere was very calm; everything was so clean and tidy. The colour choices were fantastic and the walls, paintings and seats were amazing. It didn’t feel like a hospital at all. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I became very relaxed, all my fears slowly started fading away and I started looking forward to the rest of my tour.

Each corridor, each room was very peaceful. We were shown the whole of the building, including the open, spacious, caring and calm reception area, the wide corridors, the complementary therapy room and the treatment rooms. Everything under one roof.  

We were even taken to this beautiful garden where patients can enjoy the beauty of nature.  “This is my Rose Garden” a very proud voice touched my ears as we were walking by. It was Julie`s voice, who was showing us around. I looked up and she was pointing to lots of beautiful framed photos of all the staff, in burgundy colour uniform, smiling faces, all displayed on a big window sill. How nice is that to compliment your dedicated staff. Their expertise and their skills can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The tests and treatments they do can save someone’s life, and can make a big difference in a family`s life.  
We were shown the expensive machines and treatment rooms, and saw how the staff are dedicated to their work, with a very carefully measured approach towards everything.

They make very good use of modern technologies in their training /conference rooms, with video link training for meetings. They work hard to provide the highest standard of care and take care of every possible angle so patient don’t suffer any more than what they have already been through. The patients are in very safe hands.   

I also learned that patients visiting The Christie in Oldham can use a dedicated free car park. How wonderful is that, to take away the extra stress and pressure not only financially but emotionally too from the patients and their carers. How nice is it to offer them everything they need under one roof, with the best care in the form of modern machines and comfortable chairs, so they can keep their dignity and respect and keep their will power going. Patients sometime choose to sit on the comfortable sofa style chairs rather than lying down on a bed where they might feel more ill, more sick and more in pain. 

In the complimentary therapy room, not only the patient but their carer can have a quick soothing treatment done. 

And patients can go to the information centre to get lots of relevant advice, help and support e.g. about their cancer or the benefits they may be entitled to. So patients or their carers don’t have to run around too many places for information.

Doctors, consultants and other staff also make use of the purpose built meeting/training/conference facilities to save travel time by using the video link if required.

At the end of this life changing tour, both myself and my husband are very happy that The Christie at Oldham is one of our chosen charities for the year.

We were both very pleased as people, as Councillors and as the Mayor and Mayoress to know that people in Oldham have access to such wonderful resources. They have the best possible care and fantastic dedicated staff. Most of all, we learned that The Christie at Oldham can give hope to a person who has lost hope. 

I want to thank everyone at The Christie at Oldham from the bottom of my heart and salute all health professionals who are making a big difference in people’s lives. I want to especially thank our hosts who showed us around and gave us all the information we needed. And I want to thanks the press who followed us all the way and who understand the importance of the place, taking great photographs to help their readers understand how lucky we are to have this facility.