30 Nov Southend University Hospital cancer service gets international praise
The Department of Radiotherapy and Radiotherapy Physics at Southend University Hospital, which uses radiation to help kill cancer cells, has been accredited by CHKS for its processes and standards which meet international best practice standards.
This means that the services, which sees cancer patients from right across Essex, are safe, reliable and of good quality. They also meet the high standards required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), giving the Trust a huge seal of approval when it comes to cancer care.
This year the service has already treated 1,700 patients for everything from more common cancers such as breast and prostate, to brachytherapy and highly specialised lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) treatments. This is a highly focused radiation treatment that gives an intense dose of radiation concentrated on a tumour, while limiting the dose to the surrounding organs.
The importance of this accreditation for patients and their relatives was explained by James Green, Head of Radiotherapy, who said: “Our cancer patients come to us from all corners of Essex and this recognition rubber stamps for them that when they come to Southend they are receiving world class radiotherapy treatment.
