Cancer patients welcomed with newly decorated treatment room at RDH
A cancer treatment room at Royal Derby Hospital has been transformed to help aid the emotional wellbeing of patients recovering from radioactive treatment for thyroid cancer.
Situated on Ward 303 in the Oncology Unit, the room is often used for radioactive iodine treatment where small amounts of radioactive material are placed inside a patient’s body to treat malignant thyroid disease.
The walls, which were designed by Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust, are decorated with trees and flowers to provide a home away from home environment for patients who have spent two to three days in isolation following their radioactive treatment.
Susan Tomlinson, patient on ward 303, visited the ward to use the isolation room following treatment.
She said: “This is my first time using the room since it’s been redecorated. It looks lovely. It’s nice to see a bit of colour on the walls to brighten the space up too.”
In an average year, UHDB treats around 40 patients. However, the pandemic paused therapy services over the last 12 months but treatment has now resumed in time for the newly decorated room.
Jenny Sinclair, Matron for Cancer Services, thanked the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust for helping to improve patient experience. She said: “It can be quite daunting for patients if they have to be in a room for days without this beautiful artwork on the wall.
“It is nice to have something for our patients that is non-clinical too, so for the charity to come to us and offer this for our patients is great.”
The Oncology Unit hope to work with Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust to improve other facilities on the cancer wards to help patients feel more at ease when coming in for treatment.