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The Bath Cancer Unit
Royal United Hospital Click this link for the web site www.ruh-bath.swest.nhs.uk The Bath Cancer Unit as it is now known is structured in four parts and is situated in the northern area of the Royal United Hospital
Click here to return to top of page Thanks to the Bath Cancer Appeal of 1978, cancer
patients from the Bath catchment area (formerly the Bath Health District)
now have their own centre for receiving treatment.
In the early 1990's these facilities were added to by the refurbishment and extension of the In-patient ward, complete with bed head televisions. The reception/waiting area was also modernised with further improvements such as an In-house Pharmacy being provided for our patients plus the provision of a comfortable, relaxing day patient ward with 6 treatment areas, known as the Chemotherapy Suite. The Cytology (Cervical) Laboratory moved into refurbished premises in May of 1998.
On August 9th. 2000 an additional state of the
art Linear Accelerator came on line in the Radiotherapy Dept. Over the past ten years the Bath Cancer Unit has
developed the technique of stem cell transplants, for patients requiring
high doses of chemotherapy for Leukaemia, Lymphoma and some solid tumours. The Unit is staffed by a team of caring professionals
that range from medical staff, such as clinic nurses, chemotherapy nurses,
radiographers, a phlebotomist and the administrative staff plus personnel
from medical physics, dieticians, dental hygienist, domestic assistants
and porters. Click here to return to top of page New
Bath Cancer This Centre which provides support to cancer patients and their families and friends was opened in the November 2005. The facilities were made available by the Hospital Trust but the costs of re-furbishment were met by The Bath Cancer Unit Support Group and the considerable on-going costs of the management and staffing has been underwritten by Macmillan Cancer Relief - click link to go to their web site.
Please drop in to the Centre which is adjacent to The William Budd Ward in RUH North or call on the numbers above. See more information on this web site by clicking here. Click here to return to top of page Opening of the New Additional Linac Suite On Wednesday 18th September 2002, the Mayor of Bath, Councilor Lorraine Morgan-Brinkworth officially opened the additional Linear Accelerator Suite here at the Royal United Hospital. The additional new Siemens "Linac", which is Government funded, is very similar to the Linac purchased by the Support Group in August of 2000. This similarity has many distinct advantages, with the two machines running in tandem it obviously means a greater through flow of patients, patients can be treated in a timely manner because if one machine is running behind for some reason, having the additional machine cuts down on delays. The swapping of patients to either Accelerator is made possible by having the Lantis system which records all the patients treatments and allows the radiographers to select the patient to be treated and where. The additional Linac also means that when a treatment is taking longer, either because it is more complex or the patient needs more time, more standard treatments can be continued , without delays to other patients. It also means of course that we can continue to treat patients in the event of a machine breaking down or having routine maintenance performed. The evening also saw the unveiling of the latest acquisition to the Oncology department, namely another back lit mural. This is wall mounted, unlike our previous back lit murals which are recessed into the walls of the Linac Room. The new Mural depicts a view of the Lake Champion region of upstate New York and the area is in fact called Sabbath Day Point. A truly beautiful scene which can be seen in situ in the treatment room for skin lesions. With the success of and obvious appreciation of the other illuminated murals it seemed very appropriate to improve the treatment room aesthetically and this latest purchase by the support group has certainly done that with every comment being very favourable, both from patients and staff Click here to return to top of page From our
Consultant Physicist…
The first is a 3D Treatment Planning System - "Oncentra" supplied by MDS Nordion. This system will be the first to be installed
in Europe and will allow us to do 3D radiation distribution calculations
for patient treatments on the RUH site for the first time. Previously
we have relied on our colleagues at Bristol Oncology Centre to prepare
these calculations for us. The second item to be funded is a Radiotherapy Simulator This is used to simulate and verify the patient position and location of the planned treatment volume for the dose plan produced by the 3D treatment planning system. The simulator will be an "Accuity" manufactured by Varian at Crawley. This equipment is also a new model with state of the art technology. Both items, the 3D Treatment planning system and the simulator will be networked to our Lantis Record and Verification system and the two linear accelerators. This will allow electronic transfer of the dose plan from the 3D treatment planning system to the simulator. Once the dose plan has been confirmed on the simulator and approved by the clinician, it will then be transferred electronically to the linear accelerators. Some patients will still need to travel to Bristol Oncology Centre for CT and/or MRI investigations or for a visit to the "Mould Room" for treatment positioning aids to be formed. However, the images from the CT and MRI will also be transferable electronically between the BOC and the RUH for our clinicians to view.
In the future, 3D treatment planning and simulation previously only available
at Bristol Oncology Centre for our patients will also be available at
the Royal United Hospital. The extra facilities of 3D treatment planning
and simulation for the Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire Cancer Network will
allow a faster throughput for patients for both centres. Click here to return to top of page Radio
Therapy Department
We were formed as part of the Directorates plans of the then Bath Area Health Authority. The first phase was completed in 1987 when the Bath Cancer Appeal Mark 1 raised £1.million for the purchase and installation of a Linear Accelerator (used to administer Radiotherapy) together with a suite and consulting rooms. In April of
1999, the actor Timothy West, "cut the first turf" for the new
"bunker" that would house an additional Linear Accelerator which
would lighten the load of this elderly machine. This acquisition, a state
of the art Siemens Primus Linear Accelerator, the very first of its type
in the U.K., came on line in August 2000, less than 18 months from when
that first turf was cut. Click here to return to top of page English patients about to undergo Radiotherapy could well find this recently released book in the U.K., entitled" The Best News About Radiation Therapy: How to Cope and Survive" extremely useful and informative. The book is aimed principally at the American
market and health system but English patients will find that it covers
all the basic information very well. Written in a very easy and informal
style, the author, an American Carol L Kornmehl ( a certified radiation
oncologist) has managed to draw attention to the important features, with
many of the illustrations showing equipment and accessories that are in
routine use here in the U.K. Click here to return to top of page In May of 2002 at the AGM of the Support Group and after the Presentation of £1000+ Certificates, the Support Group Committee unveiled the latest acquisition which has been acquired for the Cancer Unit.
The purchase, which is a series of Backlit Photographic Transparent Panels, set into the wall on the approach to the radiotherapy department also includes a panel set in the ceiling immediately above the Linac Machine Couch. All the panels consist of woodland scenes, chosen by the Radiotherapy staff and fully endorsed by the Support Group trustees, who had no qualms in sanctioning this expenditure. These transparencies of which there are many different categories such as waterfalls, springtime etc was the idea of a American by the name of Fischer. The idea came to him, from a comment made by his father who had suffered a heart attack and was in the ICU of his local hospital. His father, who had spent long hours on his back in intensive care, could tell his son exactly how many holes and indentation's there were in the ceiling of the Unit and from that chance remark - Backlit Photographic Transparencies was born.
Our ceiling panel in fact depicts a canopy of
trees and when looking up, one is looking through the branches to the
sky beyond. All who have viewed this latest acquisition have expressed
nothing but pleasure and have commented how the panels add warmth and
ambience to the department. We, the trustees and the radiation oncology
staff and physicians, all agree that the calming, stress relieving effect
that the panels induce, will benefit not only our patients but also our
staff !!. Click here to return to top of page Reception
& Waiting Area
A stylish, relaxing and modern area to greet patients. National daily
newspapers are provided (courtesy of the Support Group) with also a comprehensive
range of magazines. In mid 2004, with a new colour scheme, fresh paint, new curtains, carpet and a user friendly (for wheelchair patients) reception desk and with a weekly change of a fresh flower display, the ambience of the waiting area has been enhanced.
Click here to return to top of page
Click here to return to top of page Oncology
Department
William Budd - A 19th century
West Country man
He was an early advocate that patients with infectious
diseases, such as TB, Typhoid etc., should be isolated from the general
public, because of the transmissible germs. William
Budd Ward (In-Patients)
The original William Budd ward was erased for other improvements and merged
with the then Ward 7, but retaining its own name. Click here to return to top of page William Budd New Day Care Centre
This facility, as predicted, actually welcomed its first patient in June of 2003 and has already made a vast improvement not only in the number of patients being treated but also in theirs and the nursing staff's environment. The appeal for this wonderful addition to the unit's resources continues apace and to learn more of the facts, the wonderful additions that has brought this about and how you can help, Please follow the link
The Bath Cancer Unit Support Group are proud to have funded the £310,00 cost for the construction and installation of this wonderful New Day Care Facility on the William Budd Ward. A prefabricated structure was used for the new building which was for a number of reasons:- For speed of construction, with the added bonus that with the reconstructing of the RUH (North) in the future, because of the buildings mobility, it can be used for other future Cancer projects at the RUH or other PCT hospitals in our catchment area It also meant an early commissioning of the building, which of course meant, the earliest use for patients. Day Care Activity has increased threefold since 1998 and it is constantly changing as new and improved treatments are implemented. With the result that the existing facility had outgrown its current capacity, with Nursing Staff having limited control over daily attendance, because of the unpredictable workload dictated by patient requirements. Inevitably delay in accepting a patient, due to lack of space,
often
resulted in an emergency admission.
We are doubly pleased to say that the first patients
received their treatment, as predicted, in early June of 2003. We at the Bath Cancer Unit and its Support Group are most grateful to all our donors and supporters for their generous gifts, which has made this exciting addition to our resources happen in such a short time scale - a project completed on time - to budget and most importantly, achieving patients expectations. Thank you all for your support, long may it continue. Click here to return to top of page Chemotherapy
Suite (Day Patients)
Used by our day patients. An extremely pleasant ward with 6 comfortable treatment areas, where relatives/carers can be in situ with the day patient while she/he undergo their treatment. Here we can also carry out many other procedures, such as blood transfusions and small minor operative tests, without having to admit the patient into the hospital.
Refreshments, such as hot drinks etc. are available, as well as Walkmans with story tapes etc., TV and Videos as well as piped music, add to the ambience of this facility. Click here to return to top of page Cytology
Laboratory
In April of 1998, the Support Group President, Pamela Lady Harlech, opened our new laboratory. We are absolutely delighted with our new home, which is spacious and modern. It contains a preparation room for staining and processing; the screeners, have two spacious, well light and very importantly, quiet rooms, where they can work without any distractions or interruptions. They can also consult with senior laboratory Technicians, who all have their own small offices, without fear of disturbing other screeners. The Clerical Officer also has a separate office, which
enables screening staff to work undisturbed and free from the constant
flow of telephone calls etc. We also have, situated in its own room, a
computerised cytology training program (a cytofocus machine) where cytoscreener
trainees reap the benefit of uninhibited use of the interactive parts
of the programme. Click here to return to top of page By post: enclosing your cheque made payable to Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, John Carter Donations can also be made
using our print out form which will add the value of 28pence for every
£1 for Giftaid . On-Line: please visit our page on the The Charities Aid Foundation web site. Please click this link and follow the simple instructions. You will be invited to donate either by post or using a credit or debit card. Using this method you can donate anonymously or not in which instance your donation will be acknowledged electronically or by our Chairman if you submit your postal address. The Charities Aid Foundation are a charity providing On-Line fund-raising support to many charities. |
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