Royal Surrey Regional Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Unit Officially Opened by Baroness Betty Boothroyd

The new regional oesophago-gastric (OG) cancer unit, based at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, for Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire (SWSH) was officially opened by Baroness Betty Boothroyd on the 6^th May.

The regional OG cancer team, lead by Consultant Oesophago-Gastric and Laparoscopic Surgeon Mr Shaun Preston, greeted Baroness Boothroyd and showed her around the new unit.   The Baroness was introduced to all the members of the regional team; they discussed the work achieved by the unit so far and their plans for future development.   The opening was followed by a drinks reception at the Minimal Access Therapy Training Unit (MATTU) where the whole team and patients were able to meet Baroness Boothroyd and celebrate their success.

Mr Shaun Preston said:

"It was such a great privilege for us to have Baroness Boothroyd visit the Royal Surrey to open the regional OG cancer unit.  Every member of the team has worked tremendously hard to get this new unit up and running.  We are now operating on ten times more patients than before the regional unit was in place, with improved outcomes. As members of the UK's leading laparoscopic training unit (MATTU) our patients are benefitting from our extremely advanced laparoscopic surgery techniques along with a very specialised and streamlined service."

The innovative regional OG cancer unit has taken over two years to develop and has been carefully designed to co-ordinate all the OG cancer units in the region.  The complex surgery required to treat OG cancer, along with the pre-and post-operative care, has been centralised in to one regional unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital concentrating specialist expertise on one site.   The development of a co-ordinated network across the region means that patients can have their continued care and support near to home even if they have received treatment at the Royal Surrey.

The team have reason for double celebration this week as they have also been selected as finalists in the NHS South East Coast Best of Health awards for Innovative Acute Care.   This is testament to the progress they have made for OG cancer patients in the area and the high level of care they are able to deliver.  The team will find out if they are award winners at the Best of Health award ceremony in June.