Salford Care Organisation receives top award for cancer care

By the time it had been detected the cancer had already started weakening the bones of grandfather-of-two from Worsley.

He had holes, known as lesions, in his pelvis and hip.

Cliff is undergoing treatment at Salford Care Organisation which has just scooped a national award for its commitment to patients living with incurable blood cancer.

Patient Cliff Lansley with his wife Ellen and his grandchildren Bowen and Keira

The hospital’s haematology team was presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award in recognition of its outstanding care and dedication to patients with myeloma which claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year.

Staff were praised for their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life and eagerness to adapt and listen to their needs.

Myeloma UK's Jess Turner with Salford nurse, patients Cliff Lansley and Roy Cavanagh and Roy's wife Barbara

The accolade was awarded by blood cancer charity Myeloma UK.

Cliff, who is a psychologist, credits the team at the hospital for supporting him through one of the most difficult times in his life.

The father-of-three said: “Their care throughout has been unbelievable. I have the support of my own family and my family at Salford.

"The support I’ve received for over six years has been fabulous. They don’t make you feel like a number, you feel like a person. It’s that trust. I’m so glad they’ve received this award from Myeloma UK. They really deserve that recognition.”

“I have a positive mindset, but you can’t kid yourself – I’ve been on the floor crying a few times with my wife,” added the 64-year-old. “Soon after the early stages we found that we were going to have a grandson and a granddaughter. You think, am I going to see them go to nursery and go to school?

“But that’s now happened. Six years ago, if they’d given me four years I’d have taken it but I’ve had six years. There are all sorts of new treatments and now I’m positive I will watch them go to high school.”

Myeloma occurs in the bone marrow and currently affects over 24,000 people in the UK.

It is a relapsing-remitting cancer, meaning that although many patients will experience periods of remission following treatment, the disease will inevitably return.

More than half of patients face a wait of over five months to receive the right diagnosis and around a third are diagnosed through A&E.

While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases. Treatment is aimed at controlling the disease, relieving the complications and symptoms it causes, and extending and improving patients’ quality of life.

After his diagnosis, Cliff, who was still asymptomatic, was put on ‘watch and wait’ for 13 months. He started chemotherapy in 2019 and went on to receive a stem cell transplant.

He was in remission for three years until his cancer sadly returned in 2022. He had a second stem cell transplant last summer and is now back in remission.

But myeloma has seriously weakened his immune system and made him dangerously prone to infection. He has been hospitalised with infections – including sepsis – three times.

Thanks to staff’s help, Cliff has not only been able to weather the ups and downs of living with incurable cancer but to pursue his dreams, starting with completing his PhD and writing his thesis while recovering from a stem cell transplant.

“They were on the ball,” he recalled, “When I had sepsis, within minutes of getting to A&E I was in an isolated room. Staff in A&E and on the ward talked to each other, it was remarkable. There’s such a good continuity care. It never felt scary. You feel so safe.”

Meditating, keeping a diary, focusing on hobbies and making plans has gone some way to help him stay in a positive frame of mind.

“You try and find things that you can do, things to look forward to and focus on your holidays, plans and bucket list. The hospital have been very supportive of what I’ve wanted to do and of me as a person. I look at it as living with cancer not dying of it.”

Roy Cavanagh MBE

Fellow patient Roy Cavanagh MBE, from Worsley, was initially diagnosed with MGUS, a benign condition which had just a 1% chance of developing into a cancer like myeloma.

He worked with Seddons in Bolton for more than 50 years.

He was monitored annually at Salford for 15 years, until it became clear last Christmas that his condition had progressed to incurable blood cancer.

The 76-year-old started treatment in January. He’s now in remission.“They all deserve the highest credit,” said the grandfather-of-three. “The team is superbly led and staff are exemplary. They’re caring, friendly and efficient. They greet me by name – you can’t underestimate it, it’s so reassuring. How can you fail?”

Mr Cavanagh with wife Barbara and granddaughter Evie

The treatment has taken its toll and Roy now suffers from nerve damage in his ankles and feet. But he is determined to “carry on with [his] life” and see his four great-grandchildren grow up.

“I’m conscious that it’s not curable but I’m not focused on that,” added Roy, who worked as consultant focused on apprenticeships and education in the construction industry. “I’m focused on what I’m going to do today and what I’m going to do tomorrow, and on seeing our great-grandchildren grow up. Life goes on. Staff make sure you can get better so you can have happier times – and we’re already doing that.”

Catherine Redshaw, Haematology Nurse Specialist at Salford Care Organisation, said: “We are very proud, as a team, of our accomplishments and achievements. Our expertise enables us to provide care and compassion into every aspect of patient interaction. This could be a smile, a kind word or a listening ear. Every myeloma patient is treated as an individual and assessed holistically.”

Myeloma is especially hard to spot as the symptoms are often vague and dismissed as ageing or other minor conditions.

By the time many patients are diagnosed their cancer has often advanced and they require urgent treatment. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.

Jess Turner, Clinical Practice Services Programme Manager at Myeloma UK, said: “Myeloma is a challenging cancer that can change on a dime, so we were hugely impressed with the team’s efforts to anticipate patients’ needs and to make sure they are given every chance to keep their disease in check.

Patients Cliff Lansley and Roy Cavanagh with the award-winning team at Salford Care Organisation (1).jpeg (Image: Salford Care)

“Being able to switch or tweak myeloma patients’ treatments quickly and help them cope with side-effects is vital so a pharmacist is on hand on the ward and day unit to prescribe drugs as and when needed. He also makes sure prescriptions are made a week in advance of any proposed new treatment to avoid delays.

“Because staff know all too well the emotional and physical toll being diagnosed with an incurable cancer can take, they recently can take, they recently hosted a special health and wellbeing day to provide patients and their families with a safe space to share their experiences and find out about the many services available to them, including dietitians, palliative care and mental health support.”