The nurse championing cancer patients  

“There are things that only patients see,” says Elaine Chapman, lead advisory nurse for the Cambridge Cancer Hospital.

Two distinct things happened when I was relatively young that made me want to become a nurse. The first was watching Live Aid in 1985 – I realised what a lot of need there was in the world. The second was seeing the camaraderie and care of the team looking after my grandmother when she was ill with cancer in hospital.

My parents were sceptical when I told them my plans – I think they thought that at the tender age of just 17 I wasn’t empathetic enough and wouldn’t stick at it, so I thought: “right, I’ll prove you wrong.”

It turned out I wasn’t the only healthcare professional in the family. My paternal grandmother had driven ambulances in the Second World War and my maternal great-grandmother had been a nurse.

I enjoyed district nursing during my training in Norfolk and so, after qualifying, I took a similar position in London. It was there that I became interested in caring for people living with cancer.

When a job came up at the oncology unit of Addenbrooke's Hospital I decided to return to my roots in Cambridgeshire. I learnt to give chemotherapy, conduct blood transfusions and run clinics.

Later, I worked as a research nurse in the haematology unit. I’d speak to haematology patients about taking part in research trials, administer treatment and follow up with them afterwards.

It was rewarding to be with patients at every step of the way. But it was also very difficult as some patients didn’t get better because of the progression of the disease, although they always remained positive about being involved in research.

While taking a break from nursing to work in the family business, I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. I was given a low survival rate of about five years; I didn’t expect to be around very long.

I had my treatment – chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy – which was fairly gruelling. I was then put on a maintenance drug called Herceptin which had relatively recently been licenced. In fact, I’d given this to patients as part of a clinical trial whilst working on the oncology unit. It was great to be able to access this drug, as I knew how well it had worked in a trial setting.

That was seventeen years ago. Since then, every time my cancer has returned, I’ve been very lucky to benefit from research that increases longevity, allowing me to live well with cancer.

I returned to working at Addenbrooke’s – after my own experience of cancer I was worried that it would feel all too horribly familiar – I’d also been out of the NHS for a couple of years – but I gradually found my feet again and my confidence grew. In time, and with the encouragement of colleagues, I became the lead cancer nurse.

I discovered that I had a passion for working alongside patients to improve services. I remember presenting my plan to reduce consultant waiting times to a group of patients, they said: “this is lovely, but we don’t mind waiting – we just want to know how long we’ll be waiting for so we can go and do something else.” I learnt that as professionals we might unintentionally be focused on the wrong issue. This was a real turning point for me.

Today, I’m the lead advisory nurse for the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) which is being designed in collaboration with patients. There’s a Patient Advisory Group (PAG) who attend key project meetings. They are joined by a 90-member-strong patient network who are helping to shape every aspect of CCRH. For example, they worked with a catering team to create a healthy and nutritious menu that will be cooked freshly onsite.

Beyond this, my colleagues and I have been going out into the community to chat with people whose voices are often unheard, for example those who are experiencing homeless. Conversations with these communities help us to understand what barriers they may face to accessing healthcare. We want to make sure that CCRH is somewhere that all people feel welcome.

There are things that only patients see. For example, our PAG recommended having changing rooms within consultation rooms rather than across corridors. They pointed out that patients would not want to cross a busy corridor in a flimsy hospital gown when they would likely be feeling vulnerable.

CCRH will bring together clinicians, researchers and patients under one roof. This will speed up the development of new ways to detect cancer earlier and treat it more precisely. These advances bring hope to myself and others like me who continue to live with cancer.

I consented for my blood and tissue to be used in research carried out by the Precision Breast Cancer Institute who are working to provide more personalised treatments. While I may not directly benefit from this study, I know that taking part will improve breast cancer outcomes for others in the future.

I often think of the people I’ve lost and wonder why I’m still here. Championing patients and ensuring that their views are heard brings me a sense of purpose. I’m proud to be playing a part in the development of CCRH ‒ a hospital built on compassion, with patients and their needs right at its heart.