Two local Christie cancer patients are among hundreds who have collectively saved more than 1.7 million miles of travelling.
Philip Harris, from Nantwich, and Christine Heath, of Wybunbury, are two of many benefiting from a network of local cancer centres and treatment at home developed by The Christie.
Data shows in the past year, at least 56,207 appointments took place in The Christie’s network of 13 local treatment centres, or at the patient’s home, rather than at the hospital’s Withington site in Manchester.
The Christie at Macclesfield was the most recent centre to open, which provides around 32,000 appointments a year, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, haematology, and outpatient appointments.
It means patients travelled 1,721,037 fewer miles last year compared with the distance they would have travelled if their appointments had been in Manchester.
On average, each patient using a local Christie treatment centre saves 30 miles per round trip for each appointment.
And each patient using one of the 13 centres saves at least 45 minutes per appointment in travel time – 42,785 hours saved annually.
The shorter distances being travelled also mean patients spend less money getting to appointments.
Patients saved in the region of £258,154 in the past year, based on extra fuel costs needed to travel to Withington.
The environmental benefits of shorter journeys mean carbon emissions are reduced by around 363,482kg of CO2 each year.
Around 9,000 chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments also take place in patients’ homes through the “at home” service.
Retired managing director Philip, 71, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2021.
He started on a hormone therapy injection given once a month at his GP practice.
As the cancer was growing relatively slowly, he later researched all treatment options and agreed to have radiotherapy rather than surgery, primarily because it has fewer side effects.
“Part of my decision about treatment was the cost implications of travel and ease of travel,” said Philip.
“From my home, it was a consistent 30 minutes to The Christie at Macclesfield.
“I can’t praise The Christie at Macclesfield enough,” said Philip.
“The staff were incredibly professional, as one would expect.
“However, they go above and beyond to make you feel at ease, removing any fears you might have during treatment.
“That Christie at Macclesfield was a better location for me than the Withington site.
“I knew I was still getting the same quality of care as I would from The Christie in Withington; it was just much more convenient.
“The Christie team in Macclesfield is magnificent.
“My appointments were on time, the receptionists were friendly, and the centre was always clean. We are so lucky in Cheshire to have it on our doorstep.”
Christine, 82, was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2022.
She was referred to The Christie at Macclesfield for a course of radiotherapy.
She said: “It was so much easier for me to have my radiotherapy in Macclesfield rather than travelling to Withington.
“I knew I was still getting the same quality of care as I would from The Christie in Withington.
“It was just much more convenient, and when you have cancer and feel unwell, that makes a huge difference. The Christie team in Macclesfield is magnificent.”
Claire Adams, interim associate chief nurse for clinical networked services at The Christie, said: “When we talk to our patients, they tell us they want to receive the best possible care from The Christie but sometimes struggle with the travel to our Withington site.
“That’s why, since 2010, we have developed a network of 13 local treatment centres and locations for chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and outpatient appointments, and nurse-led at-home services for eligible patients.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to make it easier for patients to access appointments and treatment, which we know reduces their anxiety, saves them money on transport and is also good for the environment.
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