Derriford team earns prestigious UK award for ‘truly inspiring’ cancer support

A team at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) have been nationally recognised for their work supporting people living with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer.

The Myeloma Team at Derriford Hospital received the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award, an accolade which highlights hospitals providing high-quality, compassionate care for patients.

Praised for improving patients’ quality of life, the haematology team were recognised for listening to patients' needs, and continually adapting services.

READ NEXT: Free expert energy advice coming to Tavistock this November to help cut bills

Senior Sister and Lead Haematology Nurse Kerry McKay, along with Consultant Haematologist Hannah Hunter, said: 

“We’re thrilled to be recognised by Myeloma UK’s Clinical Service Excellence Programme. It’s a real testament to the dedication of our team and the patient-first care we strive to deliver every day.”

They added that the team uses the Myeloma Best Practice Standards “as our compass” and they are committed to “going even further for our patients”.

Myeloma UK, the national blood cancer charity, runs the excellence programme to help hospitals deliver the best possible treatment. 

It uses ten key standards, created with input from patients, families and clinicians, to measure how well services support people with myeloma.

ABOVE: The plaque received by Myeloma UK (Credit: UHPNT)

Monica Morris, Clinical Practice Programme Manager at Myeloma UK, said:

“Myeloma is a challenging cancer which keeps coming back, so we were hugely impressed with the hospital’s efforts to ease patients’ burden and make their treatment easier.”

She added that seeing the team “go the extra mile day after day” was “truly inspiring”.

Myeloma affects more than 33,000 people in the UK; it develops in the bone marrow and is difficult to diagnose due to symptoms that can be vague and easily mistaken for ageing or minor illnesses. 

Many patients wait more than five months for a correct diagnosis, one of the longest delays of any cancer.

While myeloma cannot be cured, it can usually be treated, often giving patients periods of remission.