Every year, LaingBuisson hold their prestigious awards ceremony to recognise and celebrate excellence within the healthcare industry and social care services’ public, private and third sectors. The Royal Marsden Private Care is delighted to announce that it has been nominated in three distinguished categories: Best Hospital of the Year; Innovation in Care; and Excellence in Nursing Practice. Read on to see why the Royal Marsden Private Care has been nominated for each award.
The Royal Marsden Private Care’s unparalleled surgical expertise was recently highlighted in the Channel 4 three-part documentary Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life. The programme gave viewers an insight into the hospital’s extensive repertoire of innovative surgeries and the opportunities that are offered to patients, which are often not available at other UK centres.
The documentary followed the journeys of eight Royal Marsden patients with advanced or relapsed cancers as they prepared for life-saving surgeries. These patients were under the expert care of five world-leading Royal Marsden consultants, who provide both private and NHS clinics at the hospital. This included Professor Vinidh Paleri, Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon at The Royal Marsden, who is one of the clinicians who helped to pioneer transoral robotic surgery (TORS).
TORS is a minimally invasive surgical technique which uses robotic technology to treat some head and neck cancers. This innovative surgical procedure offers durable survival for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer compared with current standard treatments, such as open surgery. “For these patients, the very latest in surgical technology and treatment is vital for successful treatment, so TORS is an extremely welcome innovation”, explained Professor Paleri.
Liquid biopsies are tests that can detect tiny amounts of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) shed by the cancer into the blood. An innovative study, called TRACC Part C, is currently evaluating whether these minimally invasive tests can determine which bowel cancer patients need to undergo chemotherapy after surgery. If ctDNA is not detected in the blood following surgery, the trial analyses if a patient’s treatment could be de-escalated to no chemotherapy at all, or chemotherapy in tablet form, which has fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy.
Professor David Cunningham, Director of Clinical Research at The Royal Marsden and Chief Investigator of the study, explains: “The results of this trial could help us tailor treatment decisions to benefit patients and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, which will enable patients to have a better quality of life”.
The Senior Adult Oncology Programme (SAOP) is a groundbreaking initiative, which launched in November 2021. SAOP was the first geriatric oncology service dedicated to the care of older adults with cancer to be established in a UK tertiary cancer centre, and Royal Marsden nurses have been an integral part of the multidisciplinary team who have implemented the programme.
The Royal Marsden’s Private Patient Medical Day Unit runs a systemic anti-cancer treatment clinic (SACT), where 30% of patients cared for are over 70. As the older population are at higher risk of problems associated with systemic treatments, such as chemotherapy, the Unit provides specialist care tailored to this age group. This includes supporting patients with any memory, mobility, autonomy and nutritional issues they may have and working with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians and pharmacists to develop an integrated, multidisciplinary plan that suits their individual needs. This approach can reduce the risk of hospitalisations as well as treatment side effects and improve the quality of life for older adults.
The 2023 Awards ceremony is due to take place on Thursday 16th November.
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