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Mr Rob Pollock 2020-03-21 Person 5 5 0

I was referred by my GP to the Sarcoma unit of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, following an MRI scan and issue with my coccyx (tail bone) that had been troubling me for several months. As a breast-cancer survivor, I feared the worst. My first consultation was with the head cancer nurse at the RNOH, Julie Woodford, who saw me on a Wednesday. Although I was surprised to be seen initially by a nurse, Ms Woodford was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in guiding me through the process, and was clearly an integral part of the RNOH clinician team. Further, because the MRI scan was inconclusive, Ms Woodford took the initiative and booked me a CT scan the following day (Thursday) so that the result of that scan (coupled with the MRI) could be discussed by the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) at the RNOH during their weekly meeting on the Friday, i.e. within two days of my meeting with Ms Woodford. The involvement of Ms Woodford meant I had someone I could speak to easily, which was very reassuring. She rang me following the MDT meeting on that Friday to explain that the CT scan was also inconclusive but that I could see one of the consultants within the team to discuss next steps. She suggested Mr Rob Pollock, and within two weeks I had a consultation with Mr Pollock at the RNOH Central London outpatient department in Bolsover Street, which is closer to where I live. Mr Pollock had an extremely reassuring and professional manner. I knew immediately I was in the best hands. For reasons I don't need to go into, it was not possible to have a biopsy. I had the option of either waiting a few months before taking further scans or having a coccygectomy, i.e. the removal of my coccyx, so that a post-operative biopsy could be taken. I had already decided on the latter option but Mr Pollock put me at my ease by explaining that my decision was not an unreasonable one to have reached and pointing out that there were a number of non-malignant explanations behind my coccyx complaint. He also explained in layman's terms that a coccygectomy was a straight-forward operation from which recovery was reasonably rapid. Both of those explanations were reassuring and, for the first time, I began to feel relaxed about the treatment plan and its likely outcome. I had the operation shortly afterwards. Because I have private medical insurance I opted to have the operation in the London Clinic which is also closer to where I live. However, I knew from Mr Pollack that the operative experience would have been the same whether on the NHS or privately. Immediately after (and on the same day as) the operation, Mr Pollack briefly saw me and mentioned that, whilst there were no guarantees, he did not think the abnormality fell within the malignant category. Again, I felt reassured by that assessment even though I knew that nothing was certain until the follow-up post-op consultation. Happily, I learned two week's later that my coccyx complaint was caused by a non-malignant tumour, but that the decision to have it removed was the right one. I did indeed recover rapidly from the coccygectomy. I felt well enough to embark on a long walk of several hours within 10 days of the operation and within one month I was able to sit with very little pain and commute to work comfortably enough by bicycle. I cannot recommend Mr Pollock and his team at the RNOH more highly. They were each of them knowledgeable, accessible, helpful and extremely professional. I knew from the beginning that I was in the best hands, and you cannot ask more than that.