Mr Richard Turner

Written by a patient at Westmorland General Hospital

In April 2016 I accompanied my partner to see her doctor as she was going through a difficult time. As I sat in the waiting room I watched a video about the symptoms of prostate cancer, and immediately made an appointment to see my own GP. A blood sample was taken and confirmed my PSA was 62. I spent an afternoon in Westmorland General on my birthday, and had a biopsy taken. Two weeks later it was revealed that 11 of the 12 samples taken were cancerous and I was told it may have spread to one of my lymph nodes and that the tumour may have spread outside the prostate, but this was yet to be confirmed. When my Urology Consultant confirmed the diagnosis my partner did not take this very well and she felt that our lives would change with this cloud hanging over us for some considerable time. The Consultant was busy and had little time to answer our questions so he passed us on to Richard, who took his time to explain the issues, the prognosis and what would happen next. He spent over half an hour with us and provided many leaflets, sketches and booklets on prostate cancer, and what we should expect. Following this tremendous shock, our lives have changed and not a minute goes by when one of us thinks about the future and what this may bring. I do not want anyone at work to know and I have limited this information to only 3 members of my family and a couple of close neighbours. I had a second appointment with the Consultant and left this appointment slightly confused (most likely because I went alone). A few weeks went by following this appointment and reading information about prostate cancer in a recent press article and the life expectancy deemed low and coupled with pressures of work, both my partner and I felt that we needed to talk to someone to alleviate our worries and to clarify the prognosis. I rang Richard and we arranged to meet. Even though he has a very busy schedule he spent 45 minutes with us. He listened to our concerns and signposted us to a level 4 counselling opportunity being piloted in Cumbria before it goes national. On top of this stressful situation I also had some other non related symptoms and there was potentially some dilemma that the cancer had spread to another organ. (Only yesterday I had it confirmed that it was not related, and not cancer.) A huge relief. I generally take a no nonsense approach to life and am extremely focussed, but on hearing the news that I had advanced prostate cancer I felt like my world had fallen apart. It was Richard who got my partner and myself back on track by his reassurance and acute knowledge of urology, oncology and issues relating to prostate cancer and that it was not all doom and gloom. At present we feel that we have been lifted and feel much more positive about the future.

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Written by a carer at Westmorland General Hospital

Richard has been absolutely brilliant from the first appointment and through the whole experience. He has been patient and understanding and answered all of our sometimes repetitive questions. He has provided calm reassurance and facts in a clear and caring manner. I have kept in touch through email and Richard has always responded quickly and helped us to negotiate our way through the system at this very stressful time. He has made the experience so much more bearable for both of us.

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Listening

Written by a patient at Westmorland General Hospital

Richard has been an invaluable point of contact, giving answers to my questions and more importantly giving time to listen and reflect on my concerns. I found Richard to be a caring and committed professional who really works hard to meet the needs of his patients

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Written by a patient at Westmorland General Hospital

Fabulous interpersonal skills Makes my trip to WESTMORLAND HOSPITAL all the easier C

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Written by a patient at Furness General Hospital

Following renal cancer diagnosis in March, Richard has been my first point of contact, acting as my Macmillan Nurse Specialist. He has informed me throughout my treatment, answering emails & phone calls promptly. Any concerns I had/have are dealt with efficiently & nothing is ever too much trouble. We all deal with cancer in our own personal way, some people like to know as little as possible & only what's relevant at the time, I'm probably in the minority, I find that being informed & given as much information as possible (the good & the bad) helps me cope better. I related this to Richard, saying I prefer the Dr/Professional version opposed to the Dr/Patient version. Richard assured me that it's my care & he will do his upmost to keep me informed, he still continues to take this approach, tailoring my care to my specific needs & requirements. I believe 'patient choice' is paramount in delivering excellent care, a unique approach is needed & treating patients as individuals is vital. Richard adopts this approach. Richard has made a difficult time easier, his knowledge, kindness & warmth, but most importantly his professionalism has aided my journey & hope for a bright future & 'IF' my cancer returns I'm in no doubt I will continue to receive the best treatment & guidance under Richards care. Karen

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