• Gavin
  • Gavin
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  • From: Scotland - Dundee
  • Registered: Tue, 23 Sep 2008
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Topic: Video on Cyberknife at the Mount Vernon in UK London

Saw this piece on the news tonight about the first Cyberknife machine at the Mount Vernon hospital in London for NHS patients. It's just a short video, but it also mentions that a Cyberknife machine will be going into the Royal Marsden in London as well, again for NHS patients by next spring. Lets hope that more of these machines will start being introduced to other NHS hospitals up and down the UK!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11708912

Gavin

  • Registered: Sat, 17 Apr 2010
  • Posts: 663

Re: Video on Cyberknife at the Mount Vernon in UK London

Hi Gavin,

Even though the Cyberknife is in an NHS hospital you still have to either go private or be referred and hope your local PCT fund it, which at the moment is very unlikely to be funded for CC.  Somebody purchased the machine for them as a gift.

Hopefully though the one at the Royal Marsden will be for NHS patients at no charge.

We are going throughthe process of Cyberknife for Dad and it's been a complete nightmare so far.  First scans were broken and second scans have been lost in transit.  Dad has missed 2 MDT meetings and it looks like he's going to miss another.  I feel like I'm hitting my head against a brick wall.

Back on phone today chasing more scans to be resent.

Hope you and your family are all ok. 

Best wishes

Andrea

Devoted Daughter to the most wonderful Dad a girl could ask for.  Sadly lost his battle on 19.02.11, peacefully in the arms of Mom and I.  As requested by Dad "we will keep on smiling".
  • Gavin
  • Gavin
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Re: Video on Cyberknife at the Mount Vernon in UK London

Hi Andrea,

Yes we are fine thanks, cold but fine! Winter is starting to set in here and it is getting cold, very cold indeed!

Hopefully the new machine at the Marsden will indeed be easier to get access to for NHS patients, and also that the PCT's will start to look more favourably on funding this treatment for CC patients.

Sorry to hear that you are still having troubles with scans getting sent and stuff, but try not to beat yourself up about this as you are doing everything possible that you can for your dad here. I hope that you can manage to kick some butt here and get these people to sort this whole scan issue out!

My best wishes to you and your dad,

Gavin

  • Registered: Sat, 17 Apr 2010
  • Posts: 663

Re: Video on Cyberknife at the Mount Vernon in UK London

Thanks Gavin,

What a day.  The QE Hospital where Dad was treated said I needed to contact the local hospital where Dad had his latest CT scan.  This was done for his baseline chemo scan in August.  I contacted the oncologist who had requested the scan, who told me that the QE had referred Dad so they needed to request them via his secretary!.  To help speed up things I thought I would phone the oncologists secretary myself to get all her details. When  I spoke to her and explained that I needed Dads CT scan as the QE Hospital only had his cholangiograms she said she would contact the XRay department and get them to burn a copy on CD and send to the London Oncology Centre asap!

I don't think she should have done this without a request from the QE Hospital but I wasn't going to question this, my main priority is getting the scans to London.  I just hope she doesn't realise this before they have been sent.

It has been very cold in the Midlands today too, winter is definatley on it's way.

Take care

Andrea

Devoted Daughter to the most wonderful Dad a girl could ask for.  Sadly lost his battle on 19.02.11, peacefully in the arms of Mom and I.  As requested by Dad "we will keep on smiling".
  • Gavin
  • Gavin
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Re: Video on Cyberknife at the Mount Vernon in UK London

Hi Andrea,

Sounds like a busy day indeed! Like you I am hoping that the scan can indeed be burned onto a cd and sent down to London asap! You did the right thing in phoning the onc's secretary here, just as you have done the right thing throughout all of this. Fingers crossed that finally your dad's scans are on their way to London!

You take care as well, and remember to take care of yourself also.

Gavin