A brand new department at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary providing checks to detect cancer will welcome the public to a grand opening event.
The new Urology Department open day takes place at the RLI on Wednesday January 10.
The new dedicated space for urology at the hospital will improve patient experience and speed up treatment for some forms of cancer, says the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the RLI.
Urology is the surgical specialism that involves treating conditions affecting the urinary tract, including the kidneys and bladder.
Visitors to the open day event will have a chance to tour the new facility, have a go at learning surgical skills and learn more about the work of the department.
Representatives of urology charities will also be present to talk about their work. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 1pm to officially open the unit.
Specialist urology doctor Ms Sarah Hart, who led on planning the specification of the new facility, said: “We’re really excited about opening our new department at the RLI and welcoming patients to this custom-built new facility.
“We’d love to see as many people as possible at our opening event to tour the new department, find out about how to look after their urological health, and learn about the signs and symptoms of diseases such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer and bladder cancer.
“Early diagnosis makes successful treatment more likely, and this is a great opportunity to learn about what to look out for and when to seek medical help.”
The new department will include four clinic rooms, space for minor surgical procedures like vasectomies, facilities for ultrasound scanning and ‘urodynamics’ bladder function testing, and offices for clinical and support staff.
Cancer diagnostic services offered from the facility will include flexible cystoscopy, a procedure used to examine the inside of the bladder, and biopsies for suspected prostate cancer.
UHMBT Chief Executive Aaron Cummins said: “The RLI’s new Urology Department will be a brilliant addition to our offering to patients, helping us to significantly speed up the hospital treatment pathway for patients needing treatment for bladder or prostate cancer, and reduce the amount of travel required by patients to access treatment.
“This project has been a fantastic collaborative effort by numerous UHMBT colleagues including our clinical team, Estates, Capital Services, IT and more.
“I am confident that patients will experience immediate benefits including reduced travel, faster access to treatment and access to more welcoming surroundings.
“It is not just urology patients who will benefit from this important new investment. Some urology procedures such as prostate biopsies, currently performed in operating theatres at the RLI, will transfer to the new urology department, meaning that valuable operating theatre time can be allocated to other specialisms.”
Organisations represented at the grand opening event include testicular cancer charity Oddballs Foundation, Fight Bladder Cancer, Rosemere Cancer Foundation, and Bay Hospitals Charity. Additional support for the event comes from medical equipment companies iMEDicare and Hollister Incorporated.
Visitors are welcome to visit the new Urology Department, in Medical Unit 1, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, from 9am to 3pm on Wednesday January 10.
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