New Stem Cell Transplant Unit for cancer patients opens

Today marks the opening of the new Stem Cell Transplant Unit for cancer patients needing protective isolation at Derriford Hospital.

The unit is a further expansion of the transplant service and will mean that patients from Devon and Cornwall will no longer have to travel to Bristol or London for unrelated donor stem cell transplants.

The Trust has invested £2.7million in the new state-of-the-art facilities which includes 10 new single rooms with en-suite facilities for patients with acute leukemia or lymphoma who need protective isolation because their immune systems are depleted due to chemotherapy treatment.

Privacy Smartglass has also been installed as a partitioning system in the corridors and rooms so that patients can have privacy or see into the ward for company at the flick of a switch.

Consultant Hematologist and Program Lead for Stem Cell Transplantation, Dr. Hannah Hunter said: “Enhancements such as Smartglass mean that patients can choose whether, in isolation, they want to watch the world go by through clear glass or prefer more privacy and can switch to opaque glass.”

Patient Richard Connor who has bone marrow cancer said: "I had my first stem cell transplant in July 2008. That gave me about 20 months of remission. Then it relapsed and I had several drug treatments. The latest lasted for about 14 months, then the myeloma came back and I've been treated since March with a view to having a stem cell transplant. I am having more treatment and hopefully I will walk out of here and have another period of remission."

Richard welcomed the improvements and said: "It will be excellent. If you imagine being in isolation, you need an en-suite shower. You are trying to avoid infections and you want a shower in your own room. The idea is you are not meant to leave the room, so it stands to reason you want everything to be self-contained and with enough space. I am very happy with the treatment I've had from everyone."