Using money raised last year by a 10-strong team from Chorley’s BNI Endeavour business networking group, which was sponsored to complete the National Three Peaks Challenge (summit Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon within 24 hours), the charity bought a portable PD03 Helium Leak Detector for the engineers working in Radiotherapy Physics at the cancer centre.
It is their job to keep the Radiotherapy Department’s eight linear accelerators (LINACs), the machines that deliver radiotherapy, in top working order so that they can treat 240 cancer patients a day five days a week.
At times, this involves replacing components within the LINACs’ vacuum systems. Senior radiotherapy engineer Robert Speakman explained: “It is critical to ensure a good seal is made.
“Re-establishing vacuum is a lengthy process and if a small leak is present, which is often the case, the system must be brought back to atmosphere and the component re-fitted. Without a helium link detector, poor vacuum seals can take days to find and rectify, putting the LINAC in downtime.”
Robert continued: “Delays caused by downtime can result in postponement or cancelations to patient treatment, increasing patient anxiety. For every hour a LINAC is down, three patients will have their treatment deferred.
“Although this is usually to later the same day, it results in several staff having to work over-time as the treatment is transferred to another LINAC, which has already been used to treat its daily rota of patients. Typically, the staff team’s over-time costs will be £179 per hour.
“By having the helium link detector, we can verify we have no vacuum leaks before we go to re-assembly, reducing the risk of downtime every time.”
Sue Swire, fundraising manager for Rosemere Cancer Foundation and a member of the triumphant BNI team, said: “It’s fantastic to know our effort has gone into supplying such an important piece of kit that is going to speed up the process of getting the cancer centre’s LINACs back up to treating cancer patients. It makes all the blisters and stiff muscles worthwhile.”
Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, which is the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties.
The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk