Dr Duncan McLaren

Written by a patient at Western General Hospital

What a star ! He's a very friendly & thoughtful man. He was (and still is, 8 years on...) very patient with me, and even tolerated my state of "fear and panic" when I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was in my 60's - but acting like an 11 year-old, giggling like a child to cover up my fears. Bear in mind that until that point, I had led a charmed life and rarely seen a doctor, suffering nothing much worse than a cold or a headache. Dr McLaren dealt calmly with me in his straight-talking and reassuring manner. I volunteered (well - he made me feel as though I was volunteering! - another example of his gentle-yet-firm manner) for a drug trial under his supervision, and he has always given me confidence that he not only knows what he's talking about, but he "tells it as it is" - which is fine by me. In a roundabout way, I'd like to think we have become friends as our doctor/patient relationship has evolved. From day-one, he has always told me exactly what's involved and he and his team have always involved my wife in every discussion - which has undoubtedly helped in my case. I realise that I am lucky to still be here, and there's no doubt that Dr McLaren managed to change my initial mindset from one of pure panic-stricken negativity to the more positive way I very quickly learnt how to cope with my illness and the possible treatments available. He's clearly an excellent physician - but he also has that 'extra something' which certainly inspired confidence in my case, which I believe has helped in my continued existence on this delightful planet. I hope he doesn't retire from his post before I (eventually) retire from the planet....

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