Haematology Team scoops Service Excellence Award | News
Haematology Team scoops Service Excellence Award
Congratulations to Royal Surrey’s Haematology Team, which has received the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme Award in recognition of its dedication to patients living with blood cancer.
The award is presented by blood cancer charity, Myeloma UK to a select few UK hospitals each year. It acknowledges commitment to providing outstanding treatment and care to patients with myeloma.
Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer, which claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year. It affects different parts of the body and develops from plasma cells made in the bone marrow.
Dr Chin Loon Neoh, Consultant Haematologist at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre, said: “We are extremely privileged to be recognised as a Myeloma Centre of Excellence for the services we provide to our patients. This is a testament to the team’s hard work in setting a high bar for myeloma treatment.
“This accolade is a milestone in our journey, doubling as a firm promise that our work to improve patients’ lives will carry on and is in line with our trust’s mission to provide world class care for our community.”
Keith Thomas, 74, who has been a Royal Surrey patient for the last 12 years, praised the team for their “exceptional” help. He said: “The service and support patients receive is everything you would wish for and the team has made my cancer journey so much easier and more tolerable.
“Sara, the Lead Haematology Nurse, who has looked after me for the last 12 years, goes over and above, always replying to my questions promptly whenever I call up needing help or have worries about my treatment or side-effects. I couldn’t imagine any way of improving the care and love and professionalism I’ve received from this team.”
Myeloma is a relapsing-remitting cancer, meaning that although many patients will experience periods of remission following treatment, the disease will inevitably come back. It can be hard to spot as the symptoms are often vague and dismissed as ageing or other minor conditions. By the time many patients are diagnosed, their cancer has advanced and they require urgent treatment. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.