Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer more than six years ago and is very grateful for the care she has received at West Middlesex University Hospital.
In October 2018 I was diagnosed with breast cancer on the right-hand side. West Middlesex University Hospital was brilliant – they had me in straight away and did a mastectomy and reconstruction. Then I had six months of chemotherapy in the Oncology Day Unit with Kate, the unit manager, and her team.
Following my treatment, I went into remission for about a year and a half, but in November 2021 I got rediagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, so it’s gone to my bones and liver. I’m now back under the Oncology Day Unit for palliative chemo to stop it spreading any more.
‘I can’t praise the team enough’
The Oncology Team has been fantastic. I can’t praise the team enough – they’ve been so caring.
The day centre has been moved to a location that isn’t as practical as the one we had before, which was all open plan and everyone could interact more easily. With some treatments, you can be in the unit for up to seven hours, so it’ll be lovely once the new Ambulatory Diagnostics Centre (ADC) is built so patients and staff can benefit from a bigger and brighter unit, and the team will have its own staffroom.
‘They were all there for me’
A few months ago they were talking about stopping my treatment and I was in absolute bits in the unit, but every single staff member hugged me and had a chat with me. I was completely overwhelmed with what they had told me, but I pushed to have treatment that week. All the staff knew it was possibly my last treatment. Even though I was sobbing my heart out on the day, they were all there for me.
And then, three weeks later, all my bloods improved, and it turned out that I could continue having treatment. When the staff saw me next, they all gave me a great big hug. It was absolutely amazing.
‘The care at the hospital is incredible’
The staff are not just interested in your cancer treatment – they know about your personal life, they ask how you’re doing. When I saw one of the nurses a few weeks after my son turned 21, she said straight away, ‘how was your son’s 21st birthday?’ They remember things and it makes being in the unit that little bit easier because you’re not a cancer statistic, you’re a person.
The new ADC will benefit so many people in our local community – we all know someone affected by cancer. The care at the hospital is incredible, and it’s so important to have the facilities to match.
The Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex University Hospital will care and transform health outcomes for more people in Hounslow, Richmond and Ealing. Find out more about this new development and how you can show your support.
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We are very sad to share that Sarah passed away on 28 June 2025, having faced her illness with strength and determination. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.
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