Projects – BCUSG

Our projects.

The Trustees have a good working relationship with the Cancer Unit’s consultants and nursing staff and it is from them that new projects will be suggested. It constantly surprises me the ingenuity of some of the items of equipment which we are asked to support.
Many of these items achieve huge gains for the patients, both in terms of the quality of the diagnosis or treatment and its effectiveness and also in reducing the length of time that these treatments take which can then of course have an impact on reducing waiting times.

Selection of projects

The Trustees receive requests for funding from various consultants and other medical staff involved in cancer treatments.
We have a very detailed Funding Application form which has to be completed by the applicant and be countersigned by two senior members of the RUH administration. They confirm that if the equipment is funded by us that it will be supported and has a location in the RUH from which it can operate.
Frequently we have more applications than we can fund. Thus each request is reviewed in detail by the Trustees and appropriate questions are sent back to the medical staff, before any decision is made by the Trustees.

2021 to-date Current Fundraising Project

To raise £580,000 (currently over half of target raised) in order to purchase two Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) systems for the new cancer centre being built at the RUH.

SGRT reduces the risk to adjoining tissue such as the heart, lungs or brain if the patient moves during radiotherapy. The equipment switches off automatically if the patient moves at all.

SGRT also avoids the need for positioning tattoos and there is much less manual handling of the patient when getting them into the correct position for treatment and in the case of head & neck patients an open face mask can be used rather than a closed one therefore providing a much less claustrophobic experience.

Our past projects

As at the end of 2022 a total of £4.85 million has been raised and used to purchase the following items:

•2020 – An upgraded Solid– State Gamma Camera. The NHS funded a standard model. BCUSG added an additional £340K, enabling a more advanced model to be purchased. The first of its type to be installed in the UK.

•2019 – Two Real Time Position Management Respiratory Gating Systems (£62K)
•2019 – Out of Hours Helpline for chemotherapy outpatients (£68K)
•2019 – Development of a Quiet Room for families of patients with palliative end of life care needs (£14,318)
•2019 – A trial of the Clinical and Cost Effectiveness of Low Level Laser in the management of oral mucositis in head and neck irridation (£4,150)
•2017 – Additional equipment for the Positron Scanner (£90K)

•2016 – The first fixed site Positron (PET-CT) Scanner Unit in an NHS hospital in the West Country together with Wall & Ceiling Art (£1.2M)

As usual the project attracted support from all ages.

•2010 – Purchasing Terarecon Client Image manipulation software
•2010 – Replacing the superficial X-ray treatment unit.

This year was the 25th anniversary of Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, and the then Duchess of Cornwall congratulated BCUSG on it’s work in support of the Cancer Unit.

•2012 – New work station to allow radiologists to assess images from a new mobile scanner
•2012 – A grant to the charity ‘Positive Action on Cancer’ which provides free professional counselling to anyone affected by the condition
•2012 – Specialist high resolution monitors to view mammography images
•2012 – New X-ray equipment to treat patients with skin cancer
•2012 – Software allowing doctors to view cancer scan images from more computer terminals
•2012 – Five patient and three chemotherapy trolleys
•2011 – Funding an enhanced digital mammography facility
•2011 – Refurbishing a quiet room in the Uro Oncology Dept
•2010 – Purchasing Terarecon Client Image manipulation software
•2010 – Replacing the superficial X-ray treatment unit
•2009 – Constructing a quiet room where diagnoses can be discussed
•2008 – Additional patients toilets
•2006 – Setting up a Cancer Information Centre
•2004 – Providing the radioactive ‘seeds’ at the start of the Prostrate Brachytherapy service
•2003 – New day treatment unit
•2000 – Purchasing a second Linear Accelerator
•1998 – Relocating the cytology (cervical smear) laboratory
•1994 – A day treatment centre for chemotherapy patients
•1991 – Refurbishing the Oncology reception & waiting areas

Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, No 292643
19A Westwood Road
Trowbridge
BA14 9BR

Thanks to:
Krystal Hosting for free website hosting.
Pearson May for their continued support.
Geoff Parselle for many of our photographs.