New model of care using isotope treatments improves service for patients
A team from the Bristol Cancer Institute has won the BIR/Bayer Make it Better Award for their work on a new model of care to treat patients with prostate cancer. The award was presented at the UK Radiology and Oncology Congress in Manchester on 14 June 2017.
Dr Amit Bahl and his team developed a service whereby cancer patients are treated with a new isotope treatment using Radium-223. This efficient treatment means patients attend far fewer appointments therefore making treatment more appealing. The care model developed requires an integration of the isotope service and the oncology team, who must have specific isotope and radiation safety training. The project team are also maximising uptake by training teams across the UK in areas that previously had no similar service.
Dr Amar Challapalli received the award on behalf of Dr Bahl and his team. It was presented by Ruedeger Koehler, Country Head, Radiology from Bayer, together with Andy Rogers, BIR President.
Dr Amar Challapalli said “The team at Bristol Cancer Institute are delighted to receive this award. We are also able to offer this treatment to patients across the Southwest and Wales (not available at their local cancer centres) and are very pleased with the extremely positive feedback about patient experience. We are thrilled that we are now able to offer this to patients who would otherwise have been denied this treatment, and this makes our effort worthwhile.”
Jonathan Ashmore and his team, from King’s College Hospital, the Belfast Trust and South London & Maudsley Hospital were awarded Highly Commended for their project to develop an app to support and prepare children prior to an MRI scan.
Dr Ashmore said “When a child is nervous we run the risk of getting a poor image. This app helps them to understand the procedure and relax and it is a pleasure to see children responding positively and even enjoying the experience.”
Ruedeger Koehler, Country Head Radiology UK, Bayer, said “I am delighted to see such exciting innovation in Radiology. Both awards are given for inventions that stem from a holistic view on patients, and both will strongly enhance the access to optimal treatment.”
Andy Rogers, BIR President, said “We’d like to thank Bayer for supporting this award which encourages hospital teams to spread the word about their innovative work and encourages others to replicate good practice”.
Photograph: (Left to right) Andy Rogers (BIR President), Jonathan Ashmore (Medical Physicist, King’s College London), Dr Amar Challapalli (Bristol Cancer Institute) and Ruedeger Koehler (Country Head, Bayer).
