Salford Care Organisation has scooped a national award for its commitment to patients living with incurable blood cancer.
The hospital’s haematology team was presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award in recognition of their outstanding care and dedication to patients with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer which claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year.
Staff were praised for their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life and eagerness to adapt and listen to their needs.
The accolade, awarded by blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, recognises hospitals’ commitment to raising the bar for treatment and providing compassionate care.
Catherine Redshaw, Haematology Nurse Specialist at Salford Care Organisation, said: “We are very proud, as a team, of our accomplishments and achievements. Our expertise enables us to provide care and compassion into every aspect of patient interaction. This could be a smile, a kind word or a listening ear. Every myeloma patient is treated as an individual and assessed holistically.”
Myeloma is especially 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 often advanced and they require urgent treatment. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.
Rhys Owens, Clinical Practice Services Senior Projects Officer at Myeloma UK, said: “Myeloma is a challenging cancer that can change on a dime, so we were hugely impressed with the team’s efforts to anticipate patients’ needs and to make sure they are given every chance to keep their disease in check.
“Being able to switch or tweak myeloma patients’ treatments quickly and help them cope with side-effects is vital so a pharmacist is on hand on the ward and day unit to prescribe drugs as and when needed. He also makes sure prescriptions are made a week in advance of any proposed new treatment to avoid delays.
“Because staff know all too well the emotional and physical toll being diagnosed with an incurable cancer can take, they recently hosted a special health and wellbeing day to provide patients and their families with a safe space to share their experiences and find out about the many services available to them, including dietitians, palliative care and mental health support.”
Read more on the Myleoma UK website.