After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
During your stay in hospital you will meet a number of different members of staff. All members of staff wear name badges, but if you are not sure who someone is or what they do, please feel free to ask them to introduce themselves and explain what they do.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please ask a doctor or a nurse.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Date: 28 March 2022
In the UK, around 7,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. Claire Mckay was diagnosed at 32 years old and it was this early diagnosis that may have helped save her life.
Claire told us about her experience and said: “The news was a huge shock. I was 32 and facing a radical hysterectomy and early onset menopause. In many ways, I just didn’t fit the stereotype for ovarian cancer because I was younger, but just because you don’t fit the mould of someone who might have it, doesn’t mean doctors shouldn’t consider it. Early diagnosis saved my life.”
Claire initially made an appointment with her GP after developing a nagging pain on her side, along with bloating and feeling unwell.
“Gynae cancer wasn’t on my mind at all,” Claire explained. “I didn’t know anything about ovarian cancer or its symptoms, but as someone with type 1 diabetes I’m pretty good at recognising when something isn’t right with my body.”
Within a week of her ultrasound scan and CT scan, Claire was told she had a cancerous lump on one of her ovaries. Only four months after seeing her GP, she was on the operating table.
“Fortunately, my surgeon at PHU, Dr Gardner, was the most wonderful professional I have ever met,” she said. “He was there when I woke up and he delivered the devastating news that while my cancer had indeed been stage 1, it had adhered to both my ovary and uterus and couldn’t be removed without the risk of the tumour splitting. This means that at the age of 32, I had undergone a radical hysterectomy. I would never be pregnant, and I was faced with early onset menopause.
“Although the physical recovery wasn’t too bad, mentally it was much harder. Children had never been a priority for me but I felt I’d had the decision taken away from me. That was hard.”
Claire reflected on the experience and completed a 15,000 ft skydive in April 2019, raising over £600 for Target Ovarian Cancer.
“As tough as it’s been,” she noted, “I have very little criticism of the whole process. I’m ultimately fortunate that my symptoms were taken seriously, and I survived with no follow up treatment. It can still be hard at times, but I am surrounded by wonderful friends, family, and medical professionals- both gynae and diabetes consultants. Their ongoing support has allowed me to forge a new future for myself.
“My diagnosis has taught me the importance of being aware of your own body,” she added. “An ovarian cancer diagnosis isn’t necessarily a death sentence. If you catch this early, there are many positive outcomes. If sharing my story can help just one person to spot the symptoms or get an earlier diagnosis, I’m happy.”
