New machines double access to hair-saving cancer treatment at East Surrey and Crawley Hospitals
It's all thanks to a donation of nearly £20,000 from an anonymous volunteer to the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity’s cancer fund
Hundreds more cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at East Surrey Hospital and Crawley Hospital can now be offered scalp cooling to help keep their hair, thanks to new machines.
Scalp cooling lowers the temperature of the scalp, reducing blood flow and the amount of medication reaching hair follicles, which can minimise hair loss.
A patient receiving chemotherapy at East Surrey Hospital expressed her support, saying, "I was scared to try it as I thought it would be painful, but I would recommend it. Hair is a massive part of your identity."
Thanks to a donation of nearly £20,000 from an anonymous volunteer to the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity’s cancer fund, each hospital has received a new machine for their chemotherapy suites, doubling capacity for scalp cooling.
Sarah Burton, Chief Nurse at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, appreciated the support from the charity, stating, “A huge thanks to our charity for supporting this new piece of equipment, which really does make a difference to our patients. Being able to reduce hair loss during what is quite a difficult treatment can make the experience just that little bit easier.”
Amelia Ling, Lead SACT Nurse and Matron at East Surrey Hospital, commented on the impact of the therapy: “When a patient has chemotherapy and loses their hair, it’s a visible sign of sickness or of someone being unwell, whether that’s to their family, their friends, or a stranger walking past them in the street or the shops.
Scalp cooling therapy works to reduce this, meaning patients don’t lose as much of their hair, which is often a huge part of their identity and body image. Anything we can do to reduce that helps them feel more ‘normal’ again.
Not all patients on chemotherapy can have scalp cooling, as not all treatments cause hair loss, but for those who can use it, it provides that additional support.”