Cancer patients at Airedale Hospital are being made more comfortable during treatment thanks to an £85,000 refurbishment of the Haematology Oncology Day Unit.

Funding has come from charitable donations from patients, relatives and carers, and includes proceeds from raffles and coffee mornings, a wide range of money-raising events, from climbing mountains to running marathons, donations given instead of special birthday or anniversary presents and contributions from funerals.

Improvements include:

  • upgrading the patient lounge so that it has a wooden floor to help reduce infection, a large flat-screen TV with wireless head-phones, new chairs and more pleasant surroundings
  • new chemotherapy chairs
  • creating an extra treatment or consultation room
  • providing a new triage room
  • a new storage area for pumps and drip stands; and
  • a staff changing room.

The refurbishment at the Steeton hospital took about six weeks, and the unit operated from ward 18 during that time.

Pat Dyminski, clinical nurse specialist in HODU at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very lucky we are supported so generously by our patients, their families and friends.

“It is a great achievement to have all this work done, and to be able to ensure the day unit stays one of the most up-to-date chemotherapy treatment areas.”