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Author: sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Did you know you can write or update a simple will for free though ACT’s Free Wills Service?

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust has joined the National Free Wills Network, so we can help our supporters to write or update your will for free using local firms of solicitors.

ACT has launched this scheme to encourage people to leave gifts in wills to transform care for the future of our much-loved hospitals. That’s why you won’t have to pay – we are so grateful for gifts in wills – we will cover the cost of the will for you.

You are under no obligation to leave Addenbrooke’s a gift in your will, but we hope that after looking after loved ones, you will consider leaving a gift. In doing so, you will leave a lasting legacy that will transform care for future generations.

Bethan Rees, a Cambridge ACT supporter, heard about the Free Wills Service in 2021. Bethan said:

“This came at the perfect time as I really needed to update my will. I had been putting it off for a long time – It always seemed to stay on the ‘to-do’ list! I was referred to a solicitor near my home, and the process was really simple. All I really had to do was tell ACT I was interested, choose the solicitor and make the appointment. I’m so glad I finally got around to doing it. It has made me feel like I have ticked a very important job.

I’ve also left a small donation to Addenbrooke’s – they have done so much for me and my family, most recently helping me recover after a dreadful accident. The staff are fantastic and if this can help them in the future, it is a great way to just say thank you.”

Paul White, Head of Donor Care at ACT, said:

“Writing or indeed updating your will is important so that your loved ones know your wishes – but it’s so easy to put off. I’m so pleased that Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust is now able to offer this special service to our supporters who would like to leave a gift in their will to Addenbrooke’s.”

Find out more, call our Gifts in Wills team on 01223 217757 or email giftsinwills@act4addenbrookes.org.uk.

ACT gift festive hampers to thank hospital staff

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

ACT is providing hundreds of goodie-filled hampers for all Addenbrooke’s staff again this year to thank the teams for their incredible dedication over the past 12 months and to spread some much-needed festive cheer.

Thank you to the Rapid Relief Team charity for their huge support spending hours packing hundreds of treats ready to be enjoyed.

Thanks also to all the companies and individuals who have donated to ACT including Studio 24, Redrow Homes, Vistry East Midlands, Ashtons Legal, Everything Answered, Stream Projects Ltd and Amazon as well as generous members of the public.

ACT CEO, Shelly Thake, said: “These hampers are just one way of saying thank you to staff at Christmas for all their amazing efforts throughout the year. Our supporters – corporate and individual – have rallied round to make this happen again this year as their way of showing their gratitude for all your hard work and dedication to patients and support for each other at this critical time.”

If you or your company would like to support Addenbrooke’s, visit our website to find out ways in which you can help.

Addenbrooke’s Robot Appeal reaches first major milestone

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Mr Simon Harper, Consultant Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgeon announces that ACT has reached its £250,000 milestone to buy a surgical robot for Addenbrooke’s

28 October 2021

A £1.5 million appeal run by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) to buy a surgical robot for Addenbrooke’s Hospital has passed the £250,000 milestone for donations and funds raised, following its launch earlier this year.

The fundraising campaign to buy the new surgical robot – that will mean quicker, less invasive surgery and faster healing and recovery times for patients – has inspired dozens of fundraisers to support in a unique fashion.

Many have taken part in the 1000 Challenge – asking if people can complete an activity a thousand times to raise £1,000 – along with a variety of other efforts to help the NHS including:

  • Running the London Marathon on 3 October
  • Learning Welsh for 1000 minutes
  • Learning mandolin for 1000 minutes
  • Penalty kick challenges
  • The Grantchester charity run
  • Toy sales
  • Doing the Three Peaks Challenge
  • Walking for a thousand minutes (16 hours 40 minutes)
  • Organising a tractor run in support of the campaign
  • Walking up a flight of stairs ten times a day for 100 days.

ACT is now gearing up the next phase of its Robot Appeal and is asking the public to take part in some fundraising activity over the next few months to help the NHS at a critical time.

The charity is calling on its supporters and the public to come up with their suggestions to help raise funds or take part in the 1000 Challenge, or to donate, to help reach the £1.5 million target as quickly as possible.

Helping post-pandemic NHS recovery
Shelly Thake, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust’s (ACT) CEO, said: “We want to say a massive thank you to all those who have supported our appeal so far. It has been a magnificent response that shows how the public want to help the NHS at this critical time.

“We hope we can once again call upon those who support the NHS and Addenbrooke’s to help us reach our Robot Appeal target. With the pressures caused by the pandemic, the hospital needs our help to get its surgical programme moving again and to deliver the quickest, safest surgery possible.

“Following the pandemic, people now more clearly grasp that hospital charities have a big impact in supporting innovation and research and staff wellbeing measures.

“The past 18 months has shown that the public want to help the NHS in the best way possible and by working with charities like ACT, they know that their efforts are delivering above and beyond what can be currently done. People are inspired by the NHS and the care they have received and want to give back where they can.”

About robotic surgery
The robot will enable surgeons and their teams to operate on more patients, from people with pancreatic cancer to gynaecology patients, enabling them to recuperate faster and get home to their families more quickly.

Robotic surgery is a form of keyhole surgery involving small incisions where the surgeon operates on the patient by controlling a computer-enhanced robot, mimicking the surgeon’s hands and wrist movements, and allowing absolute precision.

The large 3D view of the patient’s organs enables surgeons to perform many types of complex procedures with enhanced vision, greater precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with conventional techniques.

The benefits of robotic surgery for patients are immense and can change patients’ lives. It can take months to recover from traditional, ‘open’ surgery but incisions made using robotic surgery are much smaller, reducing the risk of complications and infection, minimising scarring, pain, and discomfort and helping patients recover and return home more quickly. Following robot-assisted surgery, patients can be discharged from hospital within a matter of days, not weeks.

However, Addenbrooke’s currently only has one robot which is dedicated to kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer patients. ACT’s new appeal will help fund another surgical robot, that could revolutionise patient care across six specialities in the hospital including urology, gynae-oncology, gynaecology, lower GI (gastrointestinal tract), ENT (ear, nose, and throat) and HPB (Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary – diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree) and improving outcomes for many more patients every year.

One specialty area that could benefit is head and neck surgery, which can be very invasive and where some tumours are difficult to reach. This can lead to scarring that can be very distressing for patients. A surgical robot can access the tumour through the mouth with precision meaning that patients regain the ability to swallow much more quickly, can eat and drink without help, and need less ongoing treatment. ACT’s campaign to buy a surgical robot could help ENT patients get back on their feet much sooner after an operation.

To find out more please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk/robot

Byard Art host charity raffle in support of ACT’s surgical robot appeal

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

*Byard Art press release*

The prospect of having an operation can be worrying for many people but a surgical robot can help to make the thought of surgery easier for patients. It can take months to recover from traditional, ‘open’ surgery but incisions made using robotic surgery are much smaller, reducing the risk of complications and infection, minimising scarring, pain, and discomfort, and helping patients recover and return home more quickly.

Addenbrooke’s currently has one robot which is dedicated to kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer patients. Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust’s (ACT) new appeal will help fund another surgical robot, revolutionising patient care across an additional six specialities in the hospital.

Matt Brown has created three characterful robots for the raffle. One which comes with its own first aid kit, and another features an amazing vintage light for the first time. Matt is master creator of sculptures made from recycled metals and vintage pieces which will intrigue you!

To be in with the chance of winning one or all of these wonderful works and to support this amazing local campaign you can buy tickets online or come into the gallery to take a look and get your tickets.

1st Prize – Lampbot, RRP £600

2nd Prize – First Aid Bot, RRP £400

3rd Prize – Little Red 3, RRP £110

Tickets are £5 each

With such charming prizes and 100% of the proceeds going directly to the hospital, there’s no reason not to get involved!

The draw will be held on Saturday 13 November at Byard’s Christmas Cracker opening exhibition opening on Saturday 13 December.

To find out more about ACT’s Robot Appeal please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk/robot

Biological ‘fingerprints’ of long COVID in blood could lead to diagnostic test, say Cambridge scientists

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

**University of Cambridge press release**

  • Discovery of cytokine in patients with long COVID could enable accurate test of infection
  • Second cytokine could help accurately identify individuals previously infected with coronavirus
  • Study will help researchers understand whether vaccine boosters are required

Markers in our blood – ‘fingerprints’ of infection – could help identify individuals who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, several months after infection even if the individual had only mild symptoms or showed no symptoms at all, say Cambridge researchers.

The team has received funding from the National Institute for Health Research to develop a test that could complement existing antibody tests. They also aim to use similar biological signatures to develop a test and monitor for long COVID.

While most people recover from COVID-19 in a matter of days or weeks, around one in ten people go on to develop symptoms that can last for several months. This can be the case irrespective of the severity of their COVID-19 – even individuals who were asymptomatic can experience so-called ‘long COVID’.

Diagnosing long COVID can be a challenge, however. A patient with asymptomatic or mild disease may not have taken a PCR test – the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 – at the time of infection and so has never had a confirmed diagnosis.  Even antibody tests – which look for immune cells produced in response to infection – are estimated to miss around 30% of cases, particularly among those who have had only mild disease and or beyond six months post-initial illness.

A team at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has received £370,000 from the National Institute for Health Research to develop a COVID-19 diagnostic test that would complement existing antibody tests and a test that could objectively diagnose and monitor long COVID.

The research builds on a pilot project supported by the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. The team has been recruiting patients from the Long COVID Clinic established in May 2020 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

During the pilot, the team recruited 85 patients to the Cambridge NIHR COVID BioResource, which collects blood samples from patients when they are first diagnosed and then at follow-up intervals over several months. They now hope to expand their cohort to 500 patients, recruited from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

In their initial findings, the team identified a biomarker – a biological fingerprint – in the blood of patients who had previously had COVID-19. This biomarker is a molecule known as a cytokine produced by T cells in response to infection. As with antibodies, this biomarker persists in the blood for a long time after infection. The team plans to publish their results shortly.

Dr Mark Wills from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge, who co-leads the team, said: “We need a reliable and objective way of saying whether someone has had COVID-19. Antibodies are one sign we look for, but not everyone makes a very strong response and this can wane over time and become undetectable.

“We’ve identified a cytokine that is also produced in response to infection by T cells and is likely to be detectable for several months – and potentially years – following infection. We believe this will help us develop a much more reliable diagnostic for those individuals who did not get a diagnosis at the time of infection.”

By following patients for up to 18 months post-infection, the team hopes to address several questions, including whether immunity wanes over time. This will be an important part of helping understand whether people who have been vaccinated will need to receive boosters to keep them protected.

As part of their pilot study, the team also identified a particular biomarker found in patients with long COVID. Their work suggests these patients produce a second type of cytokine, which persists in patients with long COVID compared to those that recover quickly and might be one of the drivers behind the many symptoms that patients experience. This might therefore prove to be useful for diagnosing long COVID.

Dr Nyarie Sithole, also from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge, who co-leads the team and helps to manage long COVID patients, said:  “Because we currently have no reliable way of diagnosing long COVID, the uncertainty can cause added stress to people who are experiencing potential symptoms. If we can say to them ‘yes, you have a biomarker and so you have long COVID’, we believe this will help allay some of their fears and anxieties.

“There is anecdotal evidence that patients see an improvement in symptoms of long COVID once they have been vaccinated – something that we have seen in a small number of patients in our clinic. Our study will allow us to see how this biomarker changes over a longer period of time in response to vaccination.”

At the moment, the team is using the tests for research purposes, but by increasing the size of their study cohort and carrying out further work, they hope to adapt and optimise the tests that can be scaled up and speeded up, able to be used by clinical diagnostic labs.

As well as developing a reliable test, the researchers hope their work will help provide an in-depth understanding of how the immune system responds to coronavirus infection – and why it triggers long COVID in some people.

Dr Sithole added: “One of the theories of what’s driving long COVID is that it’s a hyperactive immune response – in other words, the immune system switches on at the initial infection and for some reason never switches off or never goes back to the baseline. As we’ll be following our patients for many months post-infection, we hope to better understand whether this is indeed the case.”

In addition, having a reliable biomarker could help in the development of new treatments against COVID. Clinical trials require an objective measure of whether a drug is effective. Changes in – or the disappearance of – long-COVID-related cytokine biomarkers with corresponding symptom improvement in response to drug treatment would suggest that a treatment intervention is working.

Addenbrooke’s charity appoints new trustees to support ambitious fundraising plans

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), the fundraising charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals, is pleased to announce the appointment of two new trustees: William Fox, Portfolio Director at wealth management service provider, Cazenove Capital, and James Stevens, CEO of Ely-based nutritional ingredients supplier, Cambridge Commodities.

Thanks to the immensely generous support of its donors, the charity helps the hospitals provide a level of patient care beyond that which can be delivered by NHS funding alone. Charitable donations fund high-tech equipment and innovations, specialist staff, extra patient comforts, and vital research to improve diagnostics and find potential cures, helping to save and improve lives locally, nationally and worldwide.

“I am delighted that William and James have agreed to join the Board of Trustees at ACT,” said Chairman, Dr Rosalind Smith. “Their appointments will be of great value to the charity as it embarks on ambitious fundraising plans to support the future of Cambridge University Hospitals and continues to make it even better for patients.”

William Fox sits on the Finance and General Purposes committee and the Investment Committee (IC), having been an external advisor to the IC for many years. He said: “I am delighted to be joining ACT as a trustee at this very exciting time for both the hospital and the charity. I very much look forward to working with my fellow trustees and the excellent staff at ACT to fulfil our charitable objectives over the years ahead.”

James Stevens who will bring his expertise to the fundraising Committee said: “I am honoured to be joining such a distinguished and notable charitable trust as ACT. From innovative new equipment to smaller touches that can make all the difference, ACT does it all. I will strive to further these important and life changing endeavours and prove myself worthy of such a tremendous opportunity to give back.”

To find out more about Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) please call 01223 217757, email hello@act4addenbrookes.org.uk or visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk.

William Fox
After a spell in the army and at agricultural college, William joined Cazenove & Co in 1986 as a graduate trainee and became a partner in 2000. He continues to work for Cazenove Capital, the wealth management arm of Schroders, looking after private individuals and family trusts.

William sits on the F&GP committee and the Investment Committee, having been an external advisor to the IC for many years. He is married to Lucinda who is a retired nurse who trained in Cambridge. They have three children and now live in West Norfolk.

James Stevens
James Stevens is an entrepreneur and has forged a successful 25-year career in the health industry promoting wellbeing worldwide. He is the CEO and Founder of Cambridge Commodities and lives with his family in Cambridgeshire. A philanthropist at heart, James has taken on many challenges to raise money for charities including ACT which has been his company’s chosen charity for the last 4 years.

Addenbrooke’s charity begins partnership with Stock Shop at hospital store

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) has partnered with clothing and gift store, The Stock Shop, to help raise funds and make Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals even better for patients.

The store, based in the main concourse at Addenbrookes Hospital, has now pledged to fundraise for its local NHS charity, ACT, following a year of fundraising for NHS Charities Together nationally during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The shop is now stocking the charity’s branded merchandise such as coffee cups, water bottles, tote bags and T-shirts. All profits from the sale of these items will help the charity to fund cutting edge equipment, innovative projects, and pioneering research that will transform the hospital and change people’s lives.

Store staff will also help to spread the word about how the charity supports patients, their families, and colleagues at the hospital. One member of The Stock Shop team, Tracy Hall, has made a pledge to raise £1000 towards the £1.5 million that Addenbrooke’s needs to buy a surgical robot, by walking for 1000 minutes. Tracy is also holding a raffle in the gift store of the main concourse, giving people the chance to win some fantastic prizes to help raise additional funds towards her £1000 target.

Louise Wells, The Stock Shop Merchandising Manager, said: “Stock Shop stores across the country helped to raise thousands of pounds for NHS Charities Together during the Covid-19 pandemic. My colleagues at the Addenbrooke’s store are now excited to stock the official ACT merchandise, and incredibly proud to focus our fundraising activities on our local NHS charity, so we can give something back to the patients, their families, and hospital staff who shop in our store.”

She added: “It’s great to be part of the hospital community, and we hope our support for the charity will strengthen our relationship with staff and inspire more customers than ever before to donate.”

The Stock Shop will also be supporting the charity by donating all the funds raised from the sale of their sustainable and recyclable carrier bags, and customers will be encouraged to add a small donation to their transaction.

In addition, as a thank you to the NHS, The Stock Shop is now offering a 20% discount to Addenbrooke’s staff in both their clothing and gift store in the hospital (exclusions apply).

More items are available to purchase on ACT’s online shop at helpyourhospital.co.uk/shop

ACT scoops accolades at fundraising awards ceremony

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk
ICU staff wellbeing room

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is delighted to announce that The ALBORADA Trust has won Grant Giver of the Year for its partnership with the charity at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising East Anglia Region Awards.

The ALBORADA Trust’s support in funding a wellbeing room during the pandemic meant that staff under pressure in the ICU could take a much-needed break. The Trust also funded vouchers for staff, a staff hardship fund and care packages for those working on the frontline.

ACT was equally thrilled to be named as runners up for Corporate Partnership of the Year with Ely-based nutritional ingredients supplier, Cambridge Commodities, who raised over £76,000 in funds that directly supported patient care and staff wellbeing, whilst generating an additional £200,000 worth of gifts in kind – donated by their global suppliers and customers.

ACT fundraising volunteers Jodie Rowlandson (Team Max) who has raised over £70,000 to date for children with cancer and other life-limiting diseases, and Kirsten Bailey, who has fundraised for the hospital that has provided care for her since the age of 14, both received ‘Highly Commended’ for the Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year category.

The honours were announced at a virtual awards ceremony last Thursday evening with the focus on how charities adapted to the pandemic over the last 15 months. The hard work, dedication, and determination that charities and supporters have made was recognised, as well as the remarkable achievements made by fundraisers and funders.

Gemma Downham, ACT’s Director of Fundraising, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that The ALBORADA Trust has won Grant Giver of the Year for its partnership with us and that we were named as runners up for Corporate Partnership of the Year with Cambridge Commodities. Huge congratulations are also due to our tireless volunteer fundraisers, Jodie and Kirsten for their commendations. We are so grateful to all our incredible supporters who have done so much for our amazing hospital during the pandemic. I am so proud of our hard-working, inspiring team who worked so hard to raise £1.2M in six weeks to support our hospital staff, and patients, through Covid-19. These awards couldn’t be more well deserved.”

Jeremy Richardson OBE, Director of The ALBORADA Trust, said: “The ALBORADA Trust moved quickly upon the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic to assist staff under pressure in the ICU. We were able to provide funds for a ‘wobble’ or well-being room to enable ICU staff to take a much-needed break without ‘donning and doffing’. In addition, the Trust was pleased to fund vouchers for staff, a staff hardship fund and care packages for those working on the frontline, containing hand cream and sleep spray.

We’re delighted to have been recognised for our work over the past year and pleased to have been able to help those treating Covid-19 patients, and for whom we have the utmost admiration.”

For more information on how the charity helps make Addenbrooke’s even better, please visit helpyourhospital.co.uk.

Take part in ACT’s ‘1,000 Challenge’ and raise £1,000 to help fund a new surgical robot

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) has launched its new ‘1,000 challenge’, encouraging the public to fundraise £1,000, either individually or as a group, towards its £1.5m appeal to buy a new surgical robot for the hospital.

Robot-assisted surgery is a form of keyhole surgery involving small incisions. The surgeon operates on the patient by controlling a computer-enhanced robot, mimicking the surgeon’s hands and wrist movements, and allowing absolute precision. For patients, this means smaller incisions, faster healing and recovery times, and that patients can be discharged from hospital within a matter of days, not weeks.

However, Addenbrooke’s currently only has one robot which is dedicated to treat kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer patients. Funds raised by the 1,000 Challenge will help fund another surgical robot, revolutionising patient care across six specialties in the hospital and improving outcomes for over 1,500 additional patients every year.

The 1,000 Challenge asks you to come up with something you can do 1,000 times to raise £1,000. It could be running or cycling 1,000km, walking 1,000 steps in your lunch hour for a month, baking and selling 1,000 cupcakes, gaming for 1,000 Minecraft days, or even giving up something for 1,000 hours. Whatever your 1,000 Challenge, the charity needs your support.

Anybody who pays in fundraising of £1,000 or more before 31 October 2021 will have an opportunity to dedicate a name to be displayed on the Robot Appeal 1,000 Challenge web page.

Emily Willdigg, ACT’s Community Relationships Lead, said: “It costs approximately £1,000 per patient to provide robot-assisted surgery at Addenbrooke’s. By getting together with colleagues, friends and family and supporting our 1,000 Challenge, you will be enabling one person to have even better surgery.”

The challenge is also a great way for businesses to get involved with their teams in making Addenbrooke’s even better for patients, especially if they can match fund the money raised by their staff. James Stevens, Cambridge Commodities CEO, said: “We have supported Addenbrooke’s for many years and we are not about to stop now! Robotic surgery has so many positives for patients undergoing surgery, and we at Cambridge Commodities will definitely be trying our best to help Addenbrooke’s achieve its goal.”

Will you take the Addenbrooke’s 1,000 Challenge, raise £1,000 to help buy the hospital a surgical robot and improve the outcome and recovery from surgery for thousands of patients?

Visit our website to find out more.

‘Buy Addenbrooke’s a Robot’ appeal launched by hospital charity to change the lives of thousands of patients

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk
  • £1.5m appeal launched to buy new surgical robot for Addenbrooke’s hospital
  • Following robot-assisted surgery, patients can be discharged from hospital within a matter of days, not weeks
  • Incisions made using robotic surgery are much smaller, reducing the risk of complications and infection, minimising pain and discomfort
  • Robot will help improve patient outcomes for urology, gynae-oncology, gynaecology, lower GI (gastrointestinal tract), ENT (ear, nose and throat) and HPB (Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary – diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree).

A £1.5 million appeal to buy a surgical robot for Addenbrooke’s Hospital has been launched by its charity, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT). A new surgical robot will mean quicker, less invasive surgery and faster healing and recovery times for patients.

Robotic surgery is a form of keyhole surgery involving small incisions where the surgeon operates on the patient by controlling a computer-enhanced robot, mimicking the surgeon’s hands and wrist movements, and allowing absolute precision.

The large 3D view of the patient’s organs enables surgeons to perform many types of complex procedures with enhanced vision, greater precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with conventional techniques.

The benefits of robotic surgery for patients are immense and can change patients’ lives. It can take months to recover from traditional, ‘open’ surgery but incisions made using robotic surgery are much smaller, reducing the risk of complications and infection, minimising scarring, pain and discomfort and helping patients recover and return home more quickly. Following robot-assisted surgery, patients can be discharged from hospital within a matter of days, not weeks.

However, Addenbrooke’s currently only has one robot which is dedicated to treat kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer patients. ACT’s new appeal will help fund another surgical robot, revolutionising patient care across six specialties in the hospital including urology, gynae-oncology, gynaecology, lower GI (gastrointestinal tract), ENT (ear, nose and throat) and HPB (Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary – diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree) and improving outcomes for over 1,500 patients every year.

One of the specialty areas that will benefit is head and neck surgery which can be very invasive and where some tumours are difficult to reach. A surgeon operating a robot would be able to access the tumour through the mouth and with precision meaning that patients regain the ability to swallow much more quickly, have minimal scarring, can eat and drink without help, and need less ongoing treatment following their operation. ACT’s campaign to buy a surgical robot could help ENT patients get back on their feet much sooner after an operation.

Ms Ekpemi Irune, ENT, Head & Neck Consultant at Addenbrooke’s, said: “Head and neck cancer surgery can be very invasive. Sometimes a tumour in the back of the mouth or throat cannot be easily reached so the surgeon may have to split a patient’s jaw so they can get to the tumour. The patient has to recover in hospital for several days and they can go on to develop long term problems with bone healing, chronic pain, etc. This can be very distressing for patients. A surgical robot would be able to access tumours through the mouth with precision.”

Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology, Krishnayan Haldar, said: “Using robotic assisted surgery has an advantage over current laparoscopic surgery, because it can help us to provide much finer dissection. For example, the surgeon can preserve the nerves to the bladder and bowel during a radical hysterectomy – a nerve sparing procedure. The results are much better for the patient’s quality of life post-surgery… And it has been proven that post- surgery, pain is reduced because the movement and pulling of skin around the entry point is reduced. Some patients can be discharged on the same day; having a hysterectomy in the morning and leaving the hospital that evening because the incision is so small.”

Three years ago, Jenny Arnold who lives in Cambridge was treated for oral cancer using robotic surgery at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital. She said: “It was really awkward for my family to come and visit me because they’re from Worcester. If I’d been at Addenbrooke’s my family could have stayed over at my house. It was just very traumatic being in an unfamiliar place in unfamiliar surroundings and being so far away from everybody. Only my family could visit and not my friends as it was just too far for them to come. She added: “If Addenbrooke’s had had a robot, it would have been so much easier for me and my family.”

Shelly Thake, ACT’s CEO, said: “We hope we can once again call upon our incredible supporters to get behind our new robot appeal. With the pressures caused by COVID, the hospital needs our help to get its surgical programme moving again and to deliver the quickest, safest surgery possible. The robot will enable surgeons and their teams to operate on more patients, from people with pancreatic cancer to gynaecology patients, enabling them to recuperate faster and get home to their families more quickly.”

Help ACT buy a robot and change the lives of thousands of patients every year.

To find out more or to donate or fundraise please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk/robot