Patients having chemotherapy treatment at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) will benefit thanks to the addition of a new Paxman Scalp Cooler made possible by a kind-hearted local foundation.
Last November, ELHT’s hospital charity ELHT&Me was gifted a phenomenal £2m from The Kay Family Foundation. The money has been distributed across numerous departments, enabling enhancements in patient care and cutting-edge technology that will have an impact for years to come.
The Paxman Scalp Cooler, commonly known as a ‘cold cap’, is worn on a patient’s head to help minimize hair loss during chemotherapy. The cap cools the scalp to limit the amount of chemotherapy that reaches hair follicles.
The arrival of a new state-of-the-art cooler at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital will make a huge difference to patients who opt to have this procedure as part of their chemo journey.
Patient Lisa, 33, from Oswaldtwistle had chemotherapy last year for breast cancer. She was on a weekly treatment plan for 12 weeks, which started last July.
She said: “As a young woman having breast cancer there are a lot of changes, and your hair feels like the first thing people see so it was something I was really keen to avoid losing.”
Although Lisa lost her blonde hair, having the treatment helped slow down the process and her hair is growing back thick and fast thanks to the cold cap.
She added: “Opting to have the cold cap alongside my treatment was the one thing I could control; it was my choice, so when everything doesn’t feel in your control this is one thing I can.
“It was a good thing to do because slowing down the hair loss, from an emotional point of view, helped me get my head around it.”
The cold cap, which treats two patients, is fitted to a patient’s head by a nurse or health care assistant and worn for 30 minutes before chemotherapy treatment and anything from one to three hours post chemo, depending on their drug programme.
Unit Manager, Jo Dixon said: “This new machine has made a massive difference to us. We already had two Paxman machines and use them daily as the cold cap procedure is very popular and requested by lots of patients – mainly women who have breast cancer – who request it as part of their cancer journey.
“The new addition means we will be able to support even more patients.
“Plus, every 12 months the manufacturers will come and service the machine – another expense we don’t have to worry about - and offer staff a training session on it. We get updated on new ideas and ways to help patients and also provide booklets for patients on how to look after their hair after their treatment which all makes a massive difference for the patient’s journey.”
The Chemotherapy Unit at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, which treats adults from 18 years old, has a team of 22 and treats at least 60 patients a day, Monday to Friday.
Jo added: “This new addition has made a massive difference to patients and knowing it has come from a donor just makes it even more appreciative as this machine is really expensive for the Trust to buy, so this donation has made things a lot easier – thank you.
“And when we tell patients it was donated they are really appreciative too. Hair loss is a huge emotional side for patients, and that’s not something a lot of people realise or understand.”
If you would like to support the hospital charity through a donation or organising a fundraising event, please visit www.elhtandme.co.uk