Scalp coolers to be provided by cancer charity
Thank you to the Cancer Care & Haematology Fund (CCHF) charity which has agreed to fund the purchase of new scalp coolers to be used by patients in our Trust cancer units to minimise hair loss during chemotherapy. The charity, which supports cancer units at Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe hospitals, has committed £52,000 for the purchase of scalp coolers developed by specialist company, Paxman.
Michelle Pearsall, Macmillan Matron for Oncology and Haematology, at the Cancer Care & Haematology Unit, explained: “We’re delighted to have received the new scalp coolers – two for the Stoke Mandeville unit and two for the Sunrise Unit at Wycombe Hospital. Our teams have completed training on how to use them and I’m sure they will be welcomed by many patients during their treatment.”
CCHF’s Chair of Trustees, Dr Ann Watson, said: “We are delighted to have been able to provide the money for new scalp coolers. While they are not suitable for use by all patients undergoing chemotherapy, they provide an important option for many of those who are concerned about losing their hair. Our aim as a charity is to help the local NHS treatment facilities improve the experience of those who are undergoing what can be arduous treatment.”
Stu Rowling, Head of UK Sales & Training at Paxman, said: “We know how much it means to patients to have the option to keep their hair. Scalp cooling allows patients to take some control of a side effect which would otherwise be inevitable in some treatments. Patients will have access to the latest generation of Paxman scalp cooling systems thanks to CCHF.”