Amethyst Radiotherapy announces pilot results from offering an unprecedented wraparound care package for NHS brain tumour patients.

Amethyst Radiotherapy, a leader in cutting-edge cancer treatment, has announced its results from a new pilot in partnership with Reframe Cancer – the project supported 32 individuals, all but two were NHS patients. The ground-breaking approach has offered Amethyst patients, including NHS, access to an unprecedented level of wraparound care.

This collaboration and pilot is fully funded by Amethyst Radiotherapy who have an ongoing partnership with UCLH (University College London Hospitals) and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) which has led to a growing number of NHS patients being treated with state-of-the-art Amethyst services.

This partnership further underscores Amethyst’s commitment to delivering exceptional care and improving outcomes for individuals undergoing Gamma Knife treatment.

Patients have been offered unprecedented care throughout the entire course of their treatment, being provided with emotional and holistic support prior to, during and post, with concierge levels of care throughout.

This partnership has helped to significantly improve the patient experience – it will also lead to fewer missed appointments due to ongoing support and regular contact with patients. Staff also reported a significantly lower amount of anxiety pre-treatment, although this is not yet possible to quantify.

The pilot has been incredibly successful, with 32 Amethyst patients experiencing the unprecedented level of wraparound care.

Detail:

• Pre-treatment education: 48 hours prior to treatment, patients receive a full explanation on what the treatment entails on the day of admission, and how to best prepare for the treatment allowing patients to feel more confident and relaxed on arrival at the hospital.
• Point of contact: Patients will be able to make contact with any questions they have prior to treatment – a qualified professional will also be available to offer emotional support if required.
• Transport: Once a patient is booked in, transport will be available if required. They will also have access to any practical advice they request regarding their appointment.
• Reminders: The patient will be contacted personally 48 hours prior to treatment to prevent missed appointments.
• Aftercare: Patients will continue to receive support following treatment. This includes contact reminders for when to stop taking medication. The patient will also receive detailed information on aftercare and precautions to take.
• Check ins: Post treatment within 48 hours to assess patient wellbeing and collect feedback as well as being an emotional support (timeframe and frequency to be agreed).

Amethyst CEO Stephane Carré commented:

“At Amethyst Radiotherapy, we are driven by the belief that exceptional cancer care extends beyond cutting-edge treatments. Our pilot project in collaboration with Reframe Cancer has proven that comprehensive, holistic support can make a profound difference in patient experience and outcomes. By offering emotional, practical, and educational support throughout the entire treatment journey, we’ve helped our NHS patients feel more confident and comfortable. This level of care is a testament to our commitment to improving the lives of those we treat.”

Gretchen Tenorio, Amethyst Clinical Operations Manager added:

“I’m incredibly proud of our clinical team and the exceptional care we provide to our Gamma Knife patients at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Our partnership with Reframe and Amethyst has been invaluable, enabling us to manage caseloads efficiently while ensuring that every patient receives the highest quality, focused treatment they deserve.”

Mark Stephenson, CEO at Reframe Cancer said:

“We are incredibly proud of the results and patient feedback from our partnership with Amethyst. By offering a comprehensive wraparound care package, we have been able to provide NHS patients with an exceptional level of support throughout their treatment journey. This partnership not only improves patient outcomes but also demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative cancer care.”

Patient feedback:

• Lakshmi Devika Jayasekara – NHS (Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr Patrick Grover’s patient)

From the very beginning I was a little reluctant to do Gamma Knife because I was scared so in the first place when I received the treatment date in February, I was so scared and then after the discussion with one of your colleagues, she was really helpful in understanding my part of the story, and then she said it’s okay if you want to postpone it and it takes the time to think about it so you take your time, and likewise that’s how I ended up doing Gamma Knife in August. My kids are looking after me and I planned everything so it’s not like you know you were not dragging, not forcing anything that. So, you guys supported me there.

Once I fixed the date, I was asked to come for the pre-OP, then after you guys gave me the nursing person (Reframe) who can talk to me. And what she did was amazing, she talked to me, and you know even though logistical advice, these discussions helped me a lot, making up mind, fixing up my pins and that sort of things.

On the day before, during pre-OP, I was explained to in length what to expect, and it was clearly mentioned about the consent and everyone was very professional, very kind.

On the day, I was welcomed, I was greeted very well, you guys are really friendly, and it relaxed me a lot. I had this claustrophobia, and you guys were really understanding in that sense. I actually literally run off from the MRI, but you gave me time and you explained the importance of the whole process.

I requested some music throughout and my requests were answered. I was very happy about the entire process. And I was spoken after. I really liked them team and they were very nice.

• Nicola Charlemagne – NHS (Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr Neil Kitchen’s patient)

Everyone was very helpful, very reassuring, talked me through everything I needed to know. I was very happy with the treatment. I was obviously anxious about what I was going to go through, and I felt they told me what I needed to know, every step of the way (both clinical and Reframe teams). The staff was absolutely amazing.

• Kinza Mahmud – NHS (Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr Lewis Thorne’s patient)

Overall, everything was pretty smooth, I was very happy. The preview I was given before, and that I was told about the process, what is going to happen before and during that was great.

• Kaveesha Thayalan – PP (Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr Patrick Grover’s patient)

Everything has been incredibly positive, all the calls beforehand were really helpful, what the procedure is going to be like and everybody in the centre was extremely lovely. I was happy with the service (Reframe) definitely, I think because I don’t have much experience with going for the procedures, it was extremely helpful to give me some context. The calls after the procedure were also very helpful.