- Date awarded: June 2025
- Awarded value: £20,160
- Location: Ward 34,Victoria Hospital
Did you realise that patients undergoing chemotherapy are often attached to the equipment for many hours a day, sometimes even a whole day at a time?
As you’d imagine, this situation is extremely uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate for many. There are different ways of having chemotherapy drugs, but however you experience it, chemotherapy can last many weeks or months.
Acutely aware of patient wellbeing, the team at Ward 34 made a bid to the charity to invest in new electric padded recliner chairs in the hope of making their patients more comfortable.
These state-of-the-art recliners have now been purchased by Ward 34, following a grant from Fife Health Charity which will benefit people with hematological conditions or cancer across Fife.
Many patients find it difficult to be comfortable due to tumour pain, chemotherapy side effects, or being attached to intravenous chemotherapy for long hours and these chairs have helped alleviate a great deal of extra suffering amongst a vulnerable group. It is a relief for those already struggling to cope with their cancer symptoms, to have the use of one of the new electric recliner chairs, fitted with mod cons such as pressure relieving cushions, to allow nursing staff on the ward to manage pressure areas effectively.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. Whether you have chemotherapy as part of your treatment depends on what type of cancer you have, how big it is and whether it has spread or not. People usually have chemotherapy either at home, in hospital or at a day clinic. If you are having in-patient chemotherapy in Fife, you will come to Ward 34, the regional in-patient ward for haematology and oncology patients.
Staff on the ward tell us that these new chairs are making a big difference for patients’ comfort and recuperation over the many weeks or even months of their treatment.
