Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has announced the launch of a series of animated videos at Royal Bolton Hospital’s Breast Unit, to provide patients with information surrounding breast cancer treatment, and help boost understanding prior to consent.
In a twelve-month pilot funded by Our Bolton NHS Charity, patients will be provided access to online videos under the banner of “Explain My Procedure”, helping to explain risks, benefits, and alternative options for patients relating to their treatment.
Designed for patients to access from home, as an “additional information tool”, the trust hopes the animations “will play an important role in ensuring patients and their families have the information they need to fully understand their treatment options”.
The animations have so far been used by “more than thirty NHS trusts”, including in the educating and training of staff and medical students.
Clare Garnsey, consultant breast surgeon at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “We pride ourselves on the trust and strong relationships we build with all of our patients during what can be a really emotional and challenging time in their lives. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is very upsetting, meaning the information we give patients in the clinic may not always be fully absorbed. We hope these videos will be a useful tool for patients to use at home to watch as many times as they like, in order to better understand their treatment options.”
Sarah Skinner, charity manager at Our Bolton NHS Charity, added: “Our mission as a charity is to fund projects and initiatives that make a meaningful difference, and we hope that by funding this pilot our patients will feel empowered when it comes to making decisions about their treatment.”
In related news, Barts Health NHS Trust recently held an interactive workshop on ‘the hospital of the future’, with staff representing the breadth of the organisation coming together to discuss transformation of service, featuring an AI-generated video.
In other news from the region, our recent News in Brief article explored a range of stories including the launch of a new online booking system for blood tests at Royal Bolton hospital.
