Virtually as soon as I got home from a meeting this afternoon, the 'phone rang. This is not unusual during the day and is usually a business colleague, someone trying to sell something, the garage to advise that the car is ready..........I am sure that you know the sort of thing. Not today though. Today, it was a Radiographer from the Kent Oncology Centre.
Given the glacial pace that the NHS usually works at, it was something of a shock to hear the well modulated Queen's English of a British Standard Radiographer. If you have ever had dealings with Radiographers, you will probably also have noticed that most of them seem to be frightfully well spoken and female. Quite a few of them also seem to be married to or living with doctors. One of life's little mysteries.
There are three possibilities that spring to mind that might have resulted in a call the day after I had seen the consultant:
- The Kent Oncology Centre is incredibly efficient
- They are not very busy
- The consultant told them about yesterday's consultation
Well modulated Sarah (WMS) introduced herself as the radiographer who would be co-ordinating my radiotherapy and would be "with me all the way through it". A curious expression, but I suppose it is meant to seem reassuring.
She went on to outline the process from here on in: I would need to visit the Centre 3 times before the radiotherapy could start. The first was to pick up some antibiotics and talk with her face to face, the second to have 3 gold implants and the third to have (another) CT scan. At some point I would also be contacted by a "scheduler" who would arrange the actual radiotherapy times.
After a fairly short conversation, we managed to get 3 down to 2. I could see to real merit in an initial "chat", so asked her to leave the antibiotics at reception and I would collect them next time I go to buy some dog food (the country store is not far from Maidstone Hospital where the Centre is based). The discussion about the date for the implants was the bit that made me wonder about 2 being a real possibility; I was basically invited to nominate a date and time! Having consulted my diary, we settled on next Thursday. As for the CT scan, I will be sent an appointment which I can then re-negotiate if necessary.
WMS told me that the consultant had probably given me an armful of leaflets explaining what would be going on. I explained that I am not a leaflet sort of person and that I think he probably picked up on that in a consultation that even he admitted he would not forget. She was amused by that one and did venture that his referral to her had mentioned that the radiotherapy should take place at an agreed fixed time every day for the 7.5 weeks. Being assertive / difficult / bloody minded can have its benefits..............
On the technical side, we did have a quick chat about the "blunt instrument" nature of NHS radiotherapy in which I expressed my usual incredulity that it is apparently impossible to focus a beam of x-rays (which is all it is) on anything less than a 4cm diameter. I got the usual NHS response which was, effectively, "that's just the way it is. If you think that I am being picky, take a small torch (flashlight for my USA reader(s)) and mark a 4cm line on a piece of paper. Now move the torch until the beam touches both ends of the mark. Seriously, is that the very best that NHS kit can do?
Watch this space to see how the Kent Oncology Centre compares with Medway Hospital and UCLH.
Tonight's song: I am afraid that this is another '70s throwback for no other reason than I enjoyed their gig in about '75
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZqTueAaqU
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