"Nice hospital usually but terrible breast cancer…"

We’ve had some very good care in other departments at Kingston but the Breast Cancer care is substandard. My treatment was throughout 2022.

I couldn’t get an appointment for several weeks despite being referred on the 2 week pathway. Then they made me wait weeks again because nobody was available to do my scans or biopsies. Then ages again to start treatment for Grade 3 (fast growing) breast cancer.

No complaints about my surgeon or surgery that was all good care. Radiotherapy was at a different hospital, which was more than satisfactory too.

MacMillan at Kingston are worse than non existent. There’s a corner with brochures but nobody ever there. Adverts flash up on the TV in the building claiming Kingston MacMillan offer support to cancer patients such as art therapy, financial advice etc but that’s not true. There was zero support available. No wigs or advice for hair loss either, basically nothing.

My MacMillan Cancer Nurse Specialist knew so little about breast cancer it wasn’t worth having her as my nurse not that she bothered returning phone calls anyway. She also felt frustrated, often moaned about the NHS killing people and brought it out on patients. She left apparently so at least nobody has to have her as their CNS now. The other CNS nurses are a mixed bunch, so if you’re lucky you get a knowledgeable and caring one. If not you don’t.

After treatment ends Kingston put patients into a category called Open Access. They seem useless and unhelpful.

Overall they don’t seem to care about the cancer patients at Kingston Hospital and I’d recommend going to a different hospital if possible.