New cancer procedure at Horton General Hospital set to cut patient waiting times
The introduction of the procedure means fewer patients need to travel to Oxford
Patients with oesophageal and stomach cancer in north Oxfordshire could receive faster treatment decisions thanks to a new service at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has introduced specialist equipment at the hospital, allowing patients to undergo a procedure known as staging laparoscopy.
The procedure was previously only available at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.
It involves inserting a small camera into the abdomen under general anaesthetic to check whether cancer has spread, helping doctors decide on the most appropriate treatment.
The new equipment, funded by £153,000 from Oxford Hospitals Charity, means some patients can now have the procedure closer to home, with shorter waiting times expected.
Richard Gillies, Consultant Upper GI Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Upper GI Surgery at OUH, said: "Being able to diagnose oesophageal and stomach cancer quickly and put together the right treatment plan for each individual patient is so important.
"We currently have around 15 patients a month who need this procedure, and previously they were waiting on average two to three weeks from their consultation to the staging laparoscopy, due to demand on theatre time at the Churchill.
"Now, by using capacity at the Horton theatres and with this specialist equipment, we expect to reduce this to just one week, meaning decisions can be made sooner, and the right treatment can begin earlier."
One of the first people to benefit was 64-year-old Susan Evans from Bicester, who underwent the procedure at the end of August, just three days before her wedding.
She said: "The Horton is easier for me to get to, so I was pleased that this could take place there, and I was also eager that the date didn’t clash with my wedding!
"So having the certainty and the speed of the appointment was really appreciated. And once my wedding was over, I could move forward with the right treatment."
Hazel Murray, Interim CEO at Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: "It's fantastic to hear that the equipment is already in and making such a difference for patients.
"Technology moves fast and our charity is always thrilled to fund state-of-the-art equipment like this that can support innovative ways of helping cancer patients."