YEOVIL NEWS: Quality award for hospital’s Macmillan Unit

THE Macmillan Unit at Yeovil District Hospital has been awarded the seal of approval for achieving excellence in providing cancer care services.

The unit has become accredited by healthcare quality organisation, CHKS, to show that it meets the highest standards of performance.

As part of the accreditation process the hospital had to meet more than 300 separate measures and host a rigorous two-day visit by specialists from CHKS who spoke to consultants, doctors, nurses, therapists, support staff, volunteers and patients.

CHKS provides healthcare quality improvement services across the world, and its cancer accreditation is widely recognised as one of the most stringent and respected in the NHS.

The accreditation comes as the hospital plans to recognise 21 years of chemotherapy services hosted in the Macmillan Unit.

The unit was opened in 1994 by the Prince of Wales with a team of just two providing the service. Today, it provides around 5,000 courses of chemotherapy each year - a number it expects to increase by five per cent during this year.

Dr Matthew Sephton, one of the hospital’s consultant oncologists, said: “Our department has come a long way since opening 21 years ago. We’ve now got a great team of people who are absolutely dedicated to providing the very best outcomes and experience to our patients.

“It’s important to all of us to know that the service we provide is meeting and exceeding national standards, particularly when it comes to safety and the experience of patients. We will continue to build on this success with to ensure the Macmillan Unit continues to be an excellent place to receive care in the future.”

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