In this episode, Ed Nell speaks with Laura Power, Head of Fundraising for University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, and Ian Bowley from the Stan Bowley Trust, about Stan's Home from Home - a project providing free accommodation for families of patients receiving Cyberknife treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The episode also features a returning guest, Geoff Heyes, Head of Radiotherapy Treatment Planning at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, with an update on the next generation of Cyberknife technology and what it will mean for patients.

Key Takeaways

Stan's Home from Home gives families somewhere to stay close to the hospital.

The one bedroom cottages are free of charge and a short walk from the Cyberknife suite, letting families remain together during treatment that can last days, weeks or months.

Running the home from home costs £20,000 a year.

Every £50 donation funds one night's stay for a family. The trust uses a Lego brick model to track fundraising progress, selling 365 bricks at £50 each.

A new Cyberknife machine is on the way for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The current machine is reaching end of life after treating far more patients than originally planned. A replacement is expected to be installed around February 2027.

The new machine will extend treatment beyond the brain.

Around 80% of current patients are treated for brain lesions. The upgraded technology should make it possible to treat more inaccessible areas of the body, including moving organs.

Installing a new machine is a significant undertaking.

The bunker housing the machine needs over a metre and a half of concrete reinforcement. Once delivered, it takes around eight weeks of precision calibration before the machine can treat patients.

Key Moments

"Their bad memories stay over in the hospital. Stan's Home from Home is where they get to feel normal."

"It's not a depressing scene when you walk in. It's bright, it's airy, it gives you that warm, glowing feeling."

"50 pound a month is less than half the price of a daily coffee from Costa."

"The machine has continued to perform far exceeding our expectations."

"We are quite excited - it will be a centre for excellence, not just for the UK but internationally."

About the Podcast

This episode comes from the Stan Bowley Trust podcast, sharing the stories behind the charity's work supporting Cyberknife patients and their families at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Hosted by Ed Nell, the series features the people delivering treatment, the families experiencing it and the fundraisers making it all possible.

How to Get in Touch

To find out more about the Stan Bowley Trust or to donate:

Website: www.thestambolitrust.org

If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share it with anyone who might want to support the cause.

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This episode of the CyberKnife: Beyond Cancer discusses the work of the Stan Bowley Trust charity and their efforts to raise funds for CyberKnife radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients. The trust was set up in memory of Stan Bowley, whose life was extended by CyberKnife treatment after being diagnosed with an inoperable cancer.

Ian Bowley, from the Stan Bowley Trust, talks about his brother Alan (known as Stan) and the history of the trust. He shares the various fundraising events they hold each year including a ball with over 300 people in attendance.

Tim Wilson, from Logistics World, explains how he got involved in sponsoring the trust's events to support cancer patients. Both emphasise the importance of funding this innovative treatment and helping more people access it on the NHS.

The conversation provides information on CyberKnife technology, the clinical trials process, and the trust's ongoing goals. It highlights the significant impact of the charity in helping to fund the first CyberKnife machine in Birmingham and continue supporting cancer patients.

Guests

Ian Bowley - Co-founder of the Stan Bowley Trust, which was set up in memory of his brother Alan (known as Stan). Ian describes Stan's story of being diagnosed with three different cancers and how CyberKnife treatment successfully treated one of the tumors, extending his life. As a trustee, Ian continues to lead the charity's fundraising efforts.

Tim Wilson - Managing Director of Logistics World, a business that sponsors events for the Stan Bowley Trust. Tim explains how he got involved with the charity after meeting Ian. As a supporter, Tim values giving back through sponsorships and helping increase awareness of smaller charities like this that funds cancer treatments.

Key Takeaways

The Stan Bowley Trust was set up to honour Stan's memory and help others after CyberKnife successfully treated his otherwise inoperable tumour - showing how it can give hope in tough situations.

CyberKnife is a robotic technology that can precisely target tumours while avoiding healthy tissue damage, giving patients an alternative to more traditional treatments.

Throughout the year, the trust puts on some great fundraising events, especially their annual ball, to support the life-changing CyberKnife program at a local hospital.

Best Moments

"CyberKnife absolutely worked, you know, 100% was a success.”

"The results are phenomenal. They really are. And, you know, whilst we want to push it and push it and push it, and these clinical trials have been ongoing now for getting 10 years. You can't, you can't rush these things.”

"It's not all about the money that's raised, it's about the awareness.”

The Stan Bowley Trust

The aim of the Stan Bowley Trust is to raise money for CyberKnife, increase awareness of CyberKnife treatments and provide information for patients and their families.

If you'd like to find out more about CyberKnife radiotherapy treatment, the Stan Bowley trust and the work we do then visit our website, thestanbowleytrust.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of CyberKnife: Beyond Cancer, Mike Hammond, the Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham charity; discusses the crucial role of fundraising in supporting the mission of the Charity to provide excellent patient care. He highlights the importance of introducing advanced cancer treatment machines, such as CyberKnife and Tomotherapy, in UK hospitals, and the challenges of securing NHS funding.

CyberKnife has advantages over traditional radiotherapy, including its superior accuracy and ability to target tumours more precisely. Mike shares how CyberKnife benefits patients by reducing side effects, and their plans to continue trials to demonstrate CyberKnife's effectiveness to make it a standard NHS treatment for more types of cancer treatment.

Guest

Mike Hammond, Charity Chief Executive

Mike joined the hospital charity in February 2009, following 12 years at Bradford & Bingley, where he was Head of Internal Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility.

Since 2009, Mike has led a successful relaunch and rebrand of the hospital charity which now works across four of the Midland’s busiest hospitals - Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital.

Under Mike’s leadership the Charity has spent over £60 million supporting patients, families and staff at the hospitals. Mike has driven many multi-million-pound appeals at the Charity including bringing the first CyberKnife cancer treatment machine in the UK outside of London to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

Key Takeaways

The charity work is really making a difference by supporting patients, families and staff in ways that go above and beyond standard NHS care. Partnering with other organisations, such as the Stan Bowley Trust, means achieving more and helping more people.

CyberKnife is a game-changer for cancer treatment - it can precisely target tumours in tricky spots with fewer side effects than traditional radiotherapy. It uses precise radiotherapy that can target tumours in ways traditional methods cannot by tracking patient movement.

Fisher House - the military hospital facility provides an important home-away-from-home for families of injured service members undergoing long-term treatment. Having that support makes a big difference in their recovery.

Best Moments

"I remember Geoff and I being here on a Saturday morning, and just standing outside the radiotherapy department waiting for this big articulated truck with a with a crane on and a big, big box on the back… ‘that’s our CyberKnife machine!’…we were really excited.”

“And he said I can't do it. I can't have that treatment. I can't go through having those bolts put into my head again, I just will just have to give up. And then actually, the doctor say’s say, ‘oh, no, no, we've got a CyberKnife machine now, we, we don't need to bolt your head in, you can just lie there and wait.”

“We're the second largest radiotherapy department in the country, behind London's and London's isn't where you would expect it to be. It's not Great Ormond Street Hospital because they don't have a radiotherapy department. It's at one of the London teaching hospitals.”

The Stan Bowley Trust

The aim of the Stan Bowley Trust is to raise money for CyberKnife, increase awareness of CyberKnife treatments and provide information for patients and their families.

If you'd like to find out more about CyberKnife radiotherapy treatment, the Stan Bowley trust and the work we do then visit our website, thestanbowleytrust.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.