Great Western Hospital new radiotherapy centre welcomed by cancer patients

Sandra McGlone was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. After six rounds of chemotherapy and four weeks of radiotherapy, she was in remission. 

But in December last year, Sandra found out the cancer was back - this time in her other breast.

The official opening of Great Western Hospital's £20 million radiotherapy centre was an emotional day for the 54-year-old mum, who was there to look around the new facilities and cut the ribbon.  

Until now, Swindon cancer patients had to travel to Oxford to receive radiotherapy treatment which is roughly a 60-mile round trip.

"It's massive," Sandra said. "Unless people have actually either gone through the journey themselves or are a family member or a close friend, they don’t realise everything that's involved.

"You have appointment after appointment. Your life revolves around your diary.

"Last time, I had to drive to Cheltenham Monday to Friday for four weeks. You clock up miles on your car so there are the financial implications. You're at the lowest you can be - physically and emotionally.

"It's hard and it's draining so to have a centre here in Swindon is brilliant. For me, it will make such a difference. It will only take me 15 minutes."

Sandra is facing a double mastectomy at the beginning of next month. She will need to recover from that operation before having her radiotherapy treatment which she hopes to receive at GWH.

"I opted into the double mastectomy because I can't go through cancer again. I'm trying to minimise my risk of ever having it again." 

Besides limiting the anxiety around treatment, GWH's new centre will help cancer patients to build up a local support network.

"I've made a number of friends sitting in the waiting room going for chemotherapy," Sandra added.

"You strike up really good relationships with other patients just having a chit-chat. Having something local is great because you have that support from other people in your area."

Cancer survivor Fred Bassett described the radiotherapy centre as "the fruition of a dream".

Fred was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006 completely out of the blue after a standard check-up. He had no symptoms.

Two years later, he became involved in the campaign to build a radiotherapy facility in Swindon.

As part of his treatment, he had to receive radiotherapy treatment in Oxford.

At first, the 83-year-old tried driving himself to appointments but it got to the point where Fred wasn't feeling well enough so he had to rely on friends, family and colleagues. 

"I've been campaigning for a long time," he said.

"It would have been so easier to have my treatment here.

"It would have made the whole experience a lot less stressful.

"There weren't many facilities on the roads for stopping which is an issue when you have prostate problems.

"When I was having treatment in Oxford, there were people coming all the way from Pewsey.

"There will have been people who needed to take community transport to get to Oxford and that can take all day.

"Luckily, I didn't have to resort to anything else which was brilliant.

"But this centre is going to be massive. It really is a joy."

The radiotherapy centre is expected to save Swindon patients 13,000 journeys to Oxford each year.

GWH’s Brighter Futures charity has helped raised more than £3m for the project to supplement the £15.9m loan from the government secured by OUH. 

Sandra was one of many who helped Brighter Futures raise the whopping sum. The Taw Hill mum jumped out of an aeroplane from 15,000 feet in 2017 and raised over £900.

The impressive radiotherapy centre boasts two linear accelerators which are mostly used for external beam radiotherapy.

The site’s CT scanner will mean patients can have their planning scans in Swindon too.

Brighter Futures' associate director of fundraising Cat Weaver said: "It's meant a huge amount to us. I grew up in Swindon so, for us, this is more than just a job, this is our hospital and our local community.

"Travelling to Oxford for treatment every day for weeks meant that cancer started to define lives.

"We've heard of mums who have had to move in with their parents in Cardiff because they've had a diagnosis here in Swindon and they needed someone to look after their children.

"There is a gentleman who lives locally who had to reject treatment because he's palliative and couldn't face the journey. 

"So to have it on our doorstep will change everything. People can continue to work and take their kids to school as well as get treatment.

"This is a centre for hope.

"We want to thank every reader of the Swindon Advertiser who has supported us over the years."