Hundreds more cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at East Surrey Hospital and Crawley Hospital can now be offered scalp cooling, after new machines doubled capacity in both chemotherapy units.
Scalp cooling works by lowering the temperature of the scalp during chemotherapy, which restricts blood flow to hair follicles and reduces the amount of medication that reaches them. This helps patients retain more of their hair during treatment.
Lara Smith (above) from Reigate, a current chemotherapy patient at East Surrey Hospital said: “I have been using the cold cap alongside my treatment since April and still have all my hair. It has helped me maintain my sense of identity and meant I have been able to continue working for longer."
Another patient, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I was scared to try it as I thought it would be painful, but I would recommend it. Hair is a massive part of your identity."
The new machines, one for each chemotherapy suite at East Surrey and Crawley Hospitals, were funded by a donation of £22,000 to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity’s cancer fund, given by an anonymous volunteer who had seen the difference scalp cooling can make to patients.
Sarah Burton, Chief Nurse at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said:
“A huge thanks to our charity for supporting this new piece of equipment, which really does make a difference to our patients. Being able to reduce hair loss during what is quite a difficult treatment can make the experience just that little bit easier.”
Amelia Ling, Lead SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy) Nurse and Matron at East Surrey Hospital, said:
“When a patient has chemotherapy and loses their hair, it’s a visible sign of sickness or of someone being unwell, whether that’s to their family, their friends, or a stranger walking past them in the street or the shops. Scalp cooling therapy works to reduce this, meaning patients don’t lose as much of their hair, which is often a huge part of their identity and body image. Anything we can do to reduce that helps them feel more ‘normal’ again. Not all patients on chemotherapy can have scalp cooling, as not all treatments cause hair loss, but for those who can use it, it provides that additional support.”
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity raises funds over and above NHS provision to make patients’ experience even better when they visit their local hospital. Donations help provide state-of-the-art equipment, improve the hospital environment, support specialist training and fund groundbreaking health research. Find out more about the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare's charity cancer fund, and how you can help enhance cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care, right here in our local community.
Find out more about the scalp cooling machines from Sarah and Amelia:
