Cancer patients currently receiving treatment at Grimsby hospital are set to be offered treatment closer to home at the Lloyds Healthcare Centre on Marden Drive, Scunthorpe (a partnership between the Trust and Lloyds Pharmacy).
Research shows some of these patients live on the border between North and North East Lincolnshire and are actually closer to the Lloyds Centre in Scunthorpe than the Grimsby hospital Day Unit. From January 2023 they’ll be offered the opportunity to have their treatments in Scunthorpe rather than Grimsby, which will benefit both patients and staff, enabling more patents to be seen.
When it opened in 2019, the Lloyds Healthcare Centre (Community Infusion Clinic) was the first of its type in the UK, and provided a novel way of delivering complex injection and infusion treatments for a wide range of conditions which were traditionally offered in the hospital setting only. The many patient benefits included the convenient location, appointment times to suit patients, free parking and reduced waiting times.
Those that have used the clinic say it’s more convenient for them and it also means the Trust can see other patients in the hospital more quickly.
Patient Linda used the service when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and found it a much nicer environment to be treated in than hospital. She said: “It’s just been brilliant. I was quite low when I was going to the hospital and seeing other people poorly but you come here and its so bright and breezy and just like any other appointment you go to; like the GP, or the hairdresser – it feels like that kind of atmosphere.
“It’s really nice having someone do your treatment all the time and you feel like you have more time with them. The fact you can choose your appointments to suit yourself is the best thing and it’s really handy to have the pharmacy next door.”
The Healthcare Centre has provided more than 1,800 treatments to over 200 patients since it opened.
Paulash Haider, Assistant Chief Pharmacist at the Trust, said: “The service at Scunthorpe has proved to be a real success and has not only provided patients access to care closer to home, but it’s also freed up capacity in the hospital too. This is better for patients, better for us and fits with the government’s long term plan to treat more patients in their own community.
“We’re delighted to now be able to offer the service to more patients, extending it to some of those who would usually attend Grimsby hospital. We’ve looked at where patients live and many of them are actually closer to Scunthorpe so it will be more convenient for them to travel to the Lloyds Healthcare Centre.”
Patients will be carefully assessed by a clinician at the Trust to make sure the clinic is appropriate for them before being referred. They will have their treatment at the Marsden Drive centre but will continue to attend their nursing and medical appointments at Grimsby hospital.
Karen Smith, Lead Nurse for Oncology and Haeamatology added: “Cancer treatments continue to grow and develop with new drugs and treatment protocols increasing the demand on the hospital day units. Having the flexibility of working collaboratively with Lloyds has meant we can improve our patient journey by offering them an alternative to hospital-based treatment, in turn relieving the pressure on the trust day units and improving our patients experience. We work collaboratively as a team to provide safe, effective, holistic care for our patients with excellent patient feedback.”
The Trust and Lloyds Pharmacy have a long history of working together; it’s ten years since Lloyds were first appointed as the pharmacy for outpatient dispensing at the Trust’s hospitals.