Brighton Hospital Honored for Myeloma Patient Care

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton has received recognition from a national charity for its dedication to individuals living with an incurable blood cancer. The hospital was presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme Award, acknowledging its efforts to enhance patients’ quality of life and its staff’s attentiveness. A spokesperson for Myeloma UK commented, stating: “Seeing staff go the extra mile day after day for people with myeloma is truly inspiring.” John McEvoy, aged 70, who underwent extensive treatment at the hospital, including the injection of concrete into spinal fractures resulting from the cancer, remarked: “If not for my team and my wife I would not be here.” Mr. McEvoy, a resident of Haywards Heath, received a myeloma diagnosis in September 2013. This followed several months of back pain that had initially been misidentified as a pulled muscle. By the point of his diagnosis, his back had sustained seven fractures, and he had experienced a height reduction of four-and-a-half inches. “When I was diagnosed, they told me that the average life expectancy was six to eight years,” Mr McEvoy recounted. He added, “I said to the team, ‘if you get me to 70 that will do me’ – and sure enough they got me to 70.” Nicole Bateup, a myeloma nurse specialist employed at the hospital, stated: “As a hard-working team we strive to offer personalised care and support to an incredible group of patients and navigate the complexities of their myeloma journey.” Myeloma, also referred to as multiple myeloma, is an incurable form of blood cancer that originates in the bone marrow. Myeloma UK reports that this condition is the third most prevalent type of blood cancer; however, medical professionals frequently overlook it because of its non-specific symptoms. Common indicators include bone pain, fatigue, recurrent infections, atypical bleeding, and unexplained breathlessness. Myeloma UK indicated that more than 24,000 individuals in the UK are currently affected by the disease.