New prostate cancer clinic opens at Grantham hospital after former mayor’s £5,000 donation

A new diagnostic clinic is helping men get faster access to potentially life-saving prostate cancer treatment, thanks to a donation from a former mayor.

The Urology Diagnostic Room at Grantham and District Hospital, which opened in January, has already seen more than 700 patients and is helping to speed up the time between referral and treatment.

The facility was made possible by a £5,000 fundraising effort from former mayor of Lincoln, Rosanne Kirk, who lost her father to prostate cancer in 2021.

“It was a difficult time for my father and all the family. He was a very private person and found it hard to talk about his illness,” said Rosanne.

“By the time clinicians confirmed he had prostate cancer, it was too late for him to respond to treatments.

“He lost a lot of weight and became a shell of himself before he died in 2021.

“It was horrible to see how fast he deteriorated, and I kept thinking, had the cancer been detected earlier, he may still be here today.”

Rosanne’s donation, raised during her 2022 mayoral year, paid for a biopsy trolley used in the hospital’s new urology suite.

Until now, patients from Grantham and the surrounding area had to travel to Lincoln or Boston for biopsies.

“One in eight men will have prostate cancer in their lifetime, but the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat,” said Sara Anscombe, general manager of the urology department.

“Rosanne has made a massive difference – giving the funds for the biopsy trolley spurred us to create the Urology Diagnostic facility at the hospital.

“Now patients living in and around Grantham can come here for a biopsy instead of travelling to Lincoln or Boston. They can be seen quicker, which enables us to detect the cancer quicker.”

Advanced clinical practitioner Sue Willson explained the biopsy takes about 20 minutes and allows clinicians to examine prostate tissue for signs of cancer.

Results are reviewed in a multi-disciplinary team meeting to decide the best treatment path, which may include robotic surgery.

Rosanne added: “It is very emotional to find out that because of my contribution, a whole clinic has been set up.

“I know my dad would be proud of what has been achieved, and his legacy will be to help other men.”