The Christie at Oldham celebrates a decade of cancer treatment
The Christie at Oldham, the first in a network of Christie radiotherapy centres that treat thousands of patients closer to home, celebrated its 10th birthday on March 16.
Officially opened in March 2010 during a visit from former prime minister Gordon Brown, the centre cost £17 million and was funded by a major campaign by The Christie charity. Previously, patients across Greater Manchester could only access radiotherapy at The Christie’s main site in south Manchester.
The centre has gone on to deliver more than 160,000 patient treatments, saving thousands of patients a three-hour round trip for daily treatment for up to six weeks at a time.
Lead radiographer Julie Davies has been in charge at Oldham since it first opened. She said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be celebrating 10 years of treating patients here in Oldham. Patients tell me every day what a huge difference it makes to be able to have their treatment nearer to home.
“I’m so proud of how we have been able to expand the services and support for our patients and increase outpatient clinic access for so many people. This ensures our patients can have as much of their Christie experience here at Oldham, rather than travelling to Manchester.”
“I’m so proud of how we have been able to expand the services and support for our patients and increase outpatient clinic access for so many people. This ensures our patients can have as much of their Christie experience here at Oldham, rather than travelling to Manchester.”
The centre now treats more patients than ever, with increased opening hours and skilled radiographers delivering care for more types of cancers. Clinics that used to be held in Withington have also been moved to Oldham. Support services include complementary therapies, fatigue sessions to help patients cope with treatment side effects and workshops on living with and beyond cancer.
Prostate cancer patient Monty Woolfe was one of the first to be treated. Now aged 88, he remains grateful for the care he received: “Thanks to the treatment I had 10 years ago, I continue to enjoy a happy and long retirement with my family. I still have regular checks and thankfully everything appears to be OK. I was pleased to be one of the first to be treated at Oldham as it saved me the nightmare of all that travel.”
Since Oldham opened, The Christie has opened another radiotherapy centre in Salford as well as local chemotherapy clinics at 12 other sites, a mobile chemotherapy unit and in patients’ homes. Plans are in place to build a new centre in Macclesfield.
Chief inspector of Greater Manchester Police John Haywood is currently midway through a course of radiotherapy treatment at Oldham for lymphoma. He said: “I’ve had quite a few appointments at the main site in Withington, and the difference it makes to be able to have my treatment nearer home is remarkable. The travel time is less, you get to know the staff, and you can park almost outside the door, so it really is ideal when you’re going for treatment on a daily basis.”
Lead picture: Patient John Haywood is pictured with senior radiographers Adeela Parveen and Niamh Gascoyne.
Published on page 20 of the April 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.