Glasgow cancer centre has been given a £10,000 upgrade to “distract” patients from their treatment.
Service users can now enjoy a new TV, seating, tables, and new wayfinding signage at the West of Scotland PET Centre.
The revamp, which is part of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, was paid for through a grant from Beatson Cancer Charity.
Glasgow artist Ida Henrich was commissioned for nine pieces of art which are now on display at the centre.
It is hoped her pieces will bring the outdoors into where patients spent the majority of their time and "calm" them.
Medics hope the changes help patients who are isolated at the centre for long periods of time.
Dr Sandy Small, Consultant Clinical Physicist and Head of Nuclear Medicine on the Gartnavel Campus, explained: “When patients come to the centre, they spend the majority of their time in little clinic rooms to receive their injection of a radiotracer ahead of going for their scan.
“They spend one to one-and-a-half hours here and, given the fact they’re radioactive, they are completely isolated.
“We monitor them via camera, but they’re encouraged to stay in the room apart from going to the toilet.
“We wanted to do something to distract them – to make this little space more welcoming and calming – and given the enclosed nature of the spaces, we also wanted to create something that resonated with being outside, so we wanted something nature-related.”
Staff are really proud that they have something permanent to improve life just a little for patients as they go through an isolated and often scary procedure.
Ann Traquair-Smith, Director of Diagnostics at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “The PET Centre is a critical aspect of the work done at the Beatson, and we are happy that we could make these changes, to improve the surroundings for our patients.
"All of our staff work so hard to provide the best possible care, so it is especially pleasing that the team at the PET centre put so much additional effort into this project.
"I’d also like to thank Beatson Cancer Charity for helping to make this possible.”
Graham Hart, grants officer at Beatson Cancer Charity, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been able to fund these upgrades in the West of Scotland PET Centre.
"The aim of this project is to help reduce anxiety for Beatson patients undergoing a PET/CT scan.
“We hope this will help to enhance the overall patient experience and support future patients.”
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