St Luke’s working with The Christie
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ere at St Luke’s we are proud to host Christie Clinics at the Hospice which have continued to operate weekly throughout the pandemic. Launched in 2018, the clinics offer Christie patients the opportunity to receive the same chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormonal treatments and support that they would have at the main hospital in Manchester – without the journey and the exhaustion this can bring. We hope the warm, welcoming and friendly environment, which St Luke’s is so well known for, helps to put patients at ease as they undergo their treatment closer to home. We caught up with Alison Boniface, a Sister with The Christie, who helped to launch the clinic in Winsford. Alison, can you tell us a little bit more about the service? Our clinic operates every Friday, from 8am until 4pm. We have five Chemotherapy chairs, which means our team of specialist nurses can deliver treatments to five patients at a time. We treat all types of cancer and see around 18 patients each day, the majority of which come from mid and south Cheshire.
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What are the advantages of having the clinic here? Our nurses and patients love coming to St Luke’s as it’s a calm, relaxed atmosphere. As the groups are small, patients and nurses get to build a rapport with each other. There are no waiting times, free parking plus we’ve got all the facilities here. How do patients get referred to the service? Christie patients are referred via their consultant or they can self-refer and their eligibility is then checked. Having the link between the Christie and St Luke’s means that patients can also access other services offered by the Hospice, including complementary therapies, symptom control and counselling so patients can get an allround approach to their treatment and care.
You can help us to continue being here for local people and their families by making a regular donation to support our work. Please visit www.slhospice.co.uk/donate
