All.Can Patient Survey

48 3 | Integrated multidisciplinary care Patient stories Ray * (United Kingdom) From the first time I saw my GP to being diagnosed with cancer took six months. It’s far too long – shockingly long. I think GPs’ knowledge needs to be improved, and if they don’t know they should send people for a biopsy. A biopsy is zero inconvenience to me, but maximum efficiency for results. Looking back now, I should have demanded a referral. But I also think the doctor should say that they don’t know what it is and send you to get a biopsy done. Unless you have been told the words – ‘You’ve got cancer’ – you have no idea what it means to hear them. I can’t even explain it now. It’s everything you understand about life: you as a person, your whole existence, all your experiences – when you hear those words, ‘you’ve got cancer’, it just goes out the window. Everything. You can’t hear anything else. I had surgery, but the cancer came back a few years later. With my secondary cancer, I wasn’t happy after treatment. Maybe I was a bit depressed – I wasn’t in a good place. And then I found out about a holistic centre, where I had some psychology appointments. They were absolutely fantastic, and that turned my life around. It wasn’t just psychology, there was reiki, aromatherapy and all sorts – all provided by volunteers. The thing that annoys me, though, is that I had to ask for it. No one told me this was available until I told them I needed someone to help me with my head. I wish I’d had it the first time around as well. The best emotional support I got in the hospital, the people that spent time with me to make me feel safe and secure, were the healthcare assistants. They’re worth their weight in gold. When I was crying in bed, they used to sit there and literally hold my hand. It’s those small things that make so much difference. The main thing I would change about my cancer treatment would be the psychological side of things. Your emotional needs are not acknowledged or addressed at all. And it shouldn’t just be aftercare, it should be right the way through treatment. The National Health Service is fantastic at the clinical side of it – they do that brilliantly. But we really need to concentrate on the psychological impact. It’s not just medication, surgery and treatment. The psychological trauma of cancer is massive, but no one ever tells you that. It can only be supported through good psychological care, and that needs to be provided as part of your cancer treatment. I got it as part of my cancer treatment – but only because I asked for it.