Your donations are supporting the development of a centre of excellence for patients with rare cancers.

Every year, over 400 outpatients with conditions like sarcoma, haemophilia, head and neck and breast cancer, visit the hospital to receive innovative assessments, treatment and rehabilitation.

Daniel Fulleylove, Senior Outpatients Physiotherapist, recognised that there was no dedicated space for these patients and saw an opportunity to improve the hospital experience and help improve recovery time.

We spoke to Daniel about why he approached the charity for funding:

“Our patients with rare cancers can have very complex needs and require rehabilitation tailored to many factors like their age, treatment plans and mobility. We don’t currently have access to the right equipment to carry out the most accurate assessments, and for some of our patients who are due to undergo surgery to replace damaged bone with metal implants, for example.

“Due to the outdated facilities and space on the ward, we have taken small groups of patients to the on-site gym at the hospital, but we understand that our patients have concerns about risk of infection because of being on long term chemotherapy, and also can feel self-conscious exercising in front of others. Many patients also cannot afford gym memberships as they are unable to work because of their cancer diagnosis.” 

Funding from Leeds Hospitals Charity has enabled Daniel’s team to purchase new equipment  for two dedicated rooms that will transform the service they can offer.

The new state-of-the-art equipment will improve the patient journey from the start, enabling staff to more accurately measure things like muscle strength and joint motion in order to create tailored treatment plans.

In response to patient feedback, the team are also purchasing new fitness equipment enabling them promote health and wellbeing and provide more personalised rehabilitation to speed up recovery and enhance quality of life.

The equipment has received incredibly positive feedback from patients.

One said, "The new equipment is a big upgrade and the differing levels of resistance are much better suited for me after my surgery"

Another commented, "I feel like I have regain my confidence in doing exercise again and am getting back to the gym thanks to the physio team and the new equipment".