Caroline's Blog

Yes, the Conservative Party annual conference is in Manchester and we had a visit yesterday from the Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and Shadow Health Minister Mark Simmonds.  Despite pouring rain (Manchester never disappoints!) we put on our hard hats, jackets and boots to go on the construction site of our new £35m patient treatment centre. The builders even arranged for the hard hats to be blue. It’s all in the detail.

 And we then took the MPs to our teenage cancer unit where they met some of the ‘Christie Crew’.  The Christie Crew is a group of former patients who work on projects to raise awareness about cancer in young people. An award-winning group of strong, gutsy, articulate, funny and lively people. Everyone who meets them is impressed and enthused.  And our guests were no exception.

That's usually my lunch.

So it was a real treat and pleasure to attend our charity's ladies lunch today at the offices at the Adam & Company bank in the city centre. The influential women who joined us are important supporters of the Christie.

Good food, great company and valued support.
We brainstormed some fabulous ideas and events to raise more money for our patients. Really bright ideas from really bright women, so watch this space.

Beats a chicken salad any day. But the seriousness behind all of this was really brought home when I came back to the hospital and popped into one of our wards to see the sister of one of my closest school friends.

She's only 40, has a three year old girl, and is extremely poorly.

The indiscriminate cruelty of this disease breaks my heart, and I'm weeping for her and her family as I write this. Especially as a mother of a young daughter myself.

That's why we need to carry on fundraising. So we can do more research and save more lives, and that's why people like the exceptional ladies at today's lunch are so valued.

 It’s fascinating to hear people’s thoughts and views about the Christie. So many emotional adjectives are used.

And nothing highlighted this more than our annual open day on Saturday. 

It was great to welcome hundreds of visitors and have the opportunity to talk to so many of you. For some people it was the first time they had set foot in our hospital, having lived nearby for many years and viewed us with a mix of fear and awe.  Some visitors had been treated or worked here many years ago and were amazed by how much the place and technology have changed.  For others it was the first and last visit since losing a loved one, and provided some comfort and closure.  We also had visitors who knew someone about to start treatment here and wanted a reassuring ‘preview’. And alongside these people, we had the many supporters who attend all our events and never cease in their interest.

We also held our annual members meeting, in its third year since we became a foundation trust. It was a packed house and a real opportunity to show the excellent progress we’ve made - and how we’ve addressed the key areas that are important to our patients. I highlighted to our members that we will continue with our three key objectives of improving clinical outcomes, improving access and undertaking more world-class research, but how vital it was we stay in a strong position and ahead of the game with the NHS facing future financial challenges.

Thank you to all our staff and volunteers who worked so hard to ensure a successful day – and our governors who attended to spend time meeting members and be part of the meeting.

I hope each and every one of our visitors found the Christie open, friendly and impressive. We are after all, ‘your’ hospital.

It was a real pleasure to see you all.

It was a real day of ‘business’ today.  I went from our morning board meeting straight to the Bridgewater Hall to speak at an economic review seminar.

I joined speakers such as the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP at the BNP Paribas event which focused on the local regional economy with a special spotlight on Salford. And the point I made at the start is that yes, we’re a cancer hospital, but we’re also a business. 

We may provide a very different service to other businesses and have different income streams, customers, targets and measurements. But with a £163 million annual turnover, 2,500 staff and 40,000 patients a year to look after - we are still a business. 

And we need to be highly efficient and effective as a business. Never more so, when the economic downturn is impacting on all of us.

I was delighted to be invited to speak at the event and also have the opportunity to highlight the vital role our charity plays to the business audience and how our new network of radiotherapy centres is bringing the Christie to Salford.

Business as usual. With some unusual business.

I’ve got a big day on Saturday.  Not the usual routine of gym, washing, grocery shopping, going out with the children and catching up with friends (exhausting just thinking about it).  But meeting hundreds of people at our open day and annual members meeting. 

It’s the part of my job that I love. Meeting people visiting our hospital for the first ever time to see behind-the-scenes to ex-patients who were treated many years ago and are fascinated to see how much things have changed. The stories, feedback, kind words, questions and suggestions are always invaluable.

The Christie has always belonged to the people. And we will forever belong to the people.

And I look forward to meeting many of you on Saturday. 

PS:  I’m the little one with the blonde bob

A group of amazing women were honoured last night.  Our Headstart volunteers, who give patients demonstrations and advice on how to wear scarves when they lose their hair, received a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services.  A prestigious award which is equivalent to a MBE.

Mike Oglesby the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester presented the ladies with the award in our auditorium and the event was inspiring and moving.

Their dedication, commitment and generosity of spirit is incredible, and some of the volunteers have been freely giving their time since the service started at the Christie 18 years ago. Over this time they have helped thousands of Christie patients, offering them help and support at a time of great stress and anxiety.

It’s not just the treatment that matters for our cancer patients – it’s the support. We know that this makes a difference in how a patient copes and recovers.  And the patients who spoke so emotionally and eloquently last night about how the service had helped them really demonstrated this.

We all felt very proud last night.

My heart was racing and my legs felt like jelly - but I did it. Yes, I overcame my vertigo to abseil down Old Trafford for our charity on Saturday and felt pretty proud.

The fact a photographer and TV crew were there did spur me on to show a brave face. Such was the adrenalin rush afterwards that I said I'd do a sky dive next. I wish I'd stop challenging myself in these heady moments!

And it was a charity packed weekend as I went to the Howard Keel/Don Felder celebrity golf challenge on Sunday. It was fantastic to see so many stars from the world of sport and entertainment attend in support of the Christie. They not only putted for us but generously offered their support in other ways, and one of the business guests gave me invaluable advice about leadership and a promise of help that I know we'll take forward.

I might not have learnt much more about golf (except Don Felder was our very own Tiger Woods), but I learnt about myself and future opportunities to make things better for our patients.

They so often seem to happen when you least expect them, which is why I always keep my adventurous streak.

Now where's that sky diving manual !?

I’ll be trying to conquer my fear of heights tomorrow.  And in very dramatic and public fashion, which is a good way to ensure I don’t back out at the last minute. It’s also for our charity so it’s vital I keep a cool head, even if it’s spinning.

Yes, tomorrow lunchtime I’ll be doing a 140 foot abseil down the North Stand at Manchester United.

We’re lucky to have a charity partnership with the Manchester United Foundation, which is helping to fund a specialist physiotherapist, occupational therapist and associated equipment for our teenage cancer unit.  And this abseil is part of an ongoing fundraising programme with the club.

I’ll be descending the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ alongside one of our teenage cancer patients, and more than 100 other fundraisers as well as our finance director will be joining us in this feat.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored me. Eyes closed and fingers crossed !

Holidays are great. I know some turn out to be much better than others – but we all need a break to rest, recuperate and recharge our batteries.  I was lucky to enjoy two relaxing weeks in the sunshine with my family (it’s pouring with rain as I write this so it seems a distant memory).

I’ve come back to work raring to go for Autumn, but it’s also back to the busy ‘working mum’ routine with schools starting again.  Trying to buy the school uniform at the 11th hour when the size you need has sold out, hurriedly preparing packed lunches, rushing round the supermarket at weekends. 

And it’s a busy time ahead at work. We always have lots going on in September, but the event I want to flag up is our Open Day on Saturday 26th September. We’ve built on the success of our first open day last year and everyone is invited to drop-in anytime between 10am and 4pm. There’s a special opportunity to go on behind-the-scenes tours, hear presentations from our doctors on the latest cancer developments and treatments, and see a host of demonstrations and displays.  Our annual members meeting is also taking place so we are hoping for a good turn-out from our members.

If you are able to pop in please come and say hello. My tan will have completely faded by then, but my batteries will still be on full-power.

PS: I must be getting old.  My 11 year-old son listened to music throughout the holidays and I didn’t know most of the bands. Where does the time go ? He’s growing up so fast.  It’s reminded me how precious time is.  It’s something we are acutely aware of at the Christie as staff work tirelessly to give more time to patients and their families.  It’s precious to us all, but especially precious to them.