Weston Park staff radiate compassion and kindness towards their patients

Its early pioneering spirit in the use of radiotherapy continues today.

Here the therapeutic radiography team at Weston Park Cancer Centre talk about their work…

The radiotherapy department has become much busier over the years – we are now one of the busiest departments in the country taking into account the number of treatment machines we have.

The department is much more modern, light and airy than it used to be – we are underground but it doesn’t feel that way.

The care and compassion that all members of staff show every day – whatever their role - makes this a unique place.

All the staff here understand how daunting coming to Weston Park Hospital can be.

Radiotherapy is delivered mainly using large machines called linear accelerators.

We have a modern fleet of equipment and this makes our job easier and the treatment quicker and more efficient for the patients.

We have our own information and support team to make sure patients are well informed and have access to high quality information when they need it.

All the radiographers try to put patients at ease.

As we do see many of our patients on a daily basis for weeks on end we provide a familiar, friendly face.

Our patients can be any age group so we have a range of ways of adapting our practice to support each individual person.

Patients can have music or audio books playing during their treatments, we can talk to them via intercoms and we have some ceiling picture lights to help distract patients whilst treatment is being delivered.

The whole team consists of therapeutic radiographers, administrative staff and radiotherapy assistants.

We work closely with doctors and colleagues in medical physics to ensure treatment is delivered accurately and safely.

We provide the technical side of the patients’ treatment, but also offer practical and emotional support throughout their radiotherapy journey.

Despite being busy, the hospital still retains that small, family feel to it where everyone knows everyone.

Lots of our staff have been here many years and we have a number who trained in Sheffield, worked away and then have come back here later in their career.

We can see patients daily for up to seven-and-a-half weeks so we get to know them quite well.

There is also the satisfaction we get when they have successfully completed their course of radiotherapy.

Every member of staff here remembers particular patients – and staff - that are, and have been inspirational to them.

Undergoing any treatment at Weston Park can be challenging and it is with great pride and privilege that we are able to share that journey with our patients.

What is radiotherapy?

According to nhs.uk, radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is a treatment where radiation is used to kill cancer cells.

It says: “Radiotherapy may be used in the early stages of cancer or after it has started to spread.

“It can be used to: try to cure the cancer completely – curative radiotherapy; make other treatments more effective – for example, it can be combined with chemotherapy or used before surgery, called neo-adjuvant radiotherapy; reduce the risk of the cancer coming back after surgery – adjuvant radiotherapy; or relieve symptoms if a cure is not possible – palliative radiotherapy.

“Radiotherapy is generally considered the most effective cancer treatment after surgery, but how well it works varies from person to person.”