"Phoenix Unit"

Anything else?

I and my family have been associated with Sunderland Royal Hospital since the beginning of 2004 when our lives were turned upside down after my husband was diagnosed as suffering from Multiple Myeloma, a type of cancer for which there is no cure. My husband’s initial stay in Sunderland Royal Hospital lasted over 6 weeks, at the end of which he had been diagnosed with other medical conditions and had undergone an emergency operation for one of them. Initially none of the family had any knowledge of some of the conditions with which he had been diagnosed, therefore we relied entirely upon support and information from the medical staff and also from the leaflets available in the department. We did not dwell upon the information given but used it as a guide to get through many difficult days. I speak on behalf of my whole family when I say ‘Thank you so much’ to all staff who look after my husband, from the highest consultant right down to the humble volunteers who extend the hand of friendship, care and respect to both patient and relative alike. Since 2004 my husband has spent numerous periods in hospital, and we have met a dedicated team of professional people, from Doctors and Nurses, to ancillary staff and volunteers, all of whom have been supportive, caring, friendly and cheerful when they are working in what must be stressful, and at times, very difficult situations. The new Phoenix Unit which my husband now attends for treatment every 4 weeks is much more functional than the previous venue. The clean, bright and cheerful facilities provide much more space in which patients can receive treatment and of course there is the added bonus of individual rooms providing the privacy which some seriously ill patients need to be given their treatment. We have also noticed that there appears to be an increase in patients coming into the unit to receive medication, although there does not seem to be much, if any, increase in the number of staff around, so again the medical personnel are under greater pressure to maintain their high standards in patient care. Phyllis