Mr Richard Turner

Written by a patient at Furness General Hospital

I first met Richard on the day of being advised by the Urology Consultant that I had Prostate Cancer. He met with my wife and I and sat us down in his office he told us that he was our point of contact at the hospital for any queries or concerns we might have whilst I was receiving treatment for this condition, He provided us with his own contact information and for others when he was off duty. He also reiterated in great detail what my planned treatment process would be at this stage of my condition, reinforcing what the consultant had said. To be fair once the consultant had said Prostrate Cancer I think I switched off that was my lightning bolt moment. It was good to have the immediate follow up meeting with Richard, I had been given the bad news, now Richard was giving me some good news about how I was going to get better, to the extent he became quite assertive regarding commencing my treatment he didn't want me wasting any time at all with my medication, as in his words the sooner I start taking the tablets the sooner 'we' start tackling the cancer! Richard is very confident and knowledgeable in his specialist field, first impressions can make him appear condescending, as you get to know him this is so far away from the real Richard his main focus is his drive and determination to get his patients well again. During the meeting Richard promised to supply various pieces of literature, some soft and some hard copy sure enough it all arrived at my home as promised. He is also well connected in the hospital and has a great rapport with colleagues and he manages to 'get things done', on this particular day I needed a blood test, the Phlebotomist in the Pathology lab were passed there normal operating hours Richard managed to persuade one of the Phlebotomist to take my blood after hours he goes 'above and beyond' and seems to get others to come along with him. After commencing the medication I had some queries, I contacted Richard and sure enough he obtained the answers for me and reported back reassuring me all the time that I was getting the correct care. Richards final challenge from me was after nineteen days of medication I stated to struggle with discomfort, weakness and nausea, my wife contacted Richard at around 09:00 in the morning and Richard called back within 25 minutes advising me that there was a bed available for me in Furness General, where the Uro-onclogy team stabilised my condition and got me back on track. I believe without Richard's intervention I would have had a more difficult admission had I gone via A&E. On a personal note, thank you Richard for the support you have given me so far.

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Written by a patient at Westmorland General Hospital

I could not have asked for better support and care from Richard . He gave me unbiased advice in easy to understand terms which helped me to chose my treatment

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Written by a patient at Furness General Hospital

From the moment I met Richard he was amazing. On all of the occasions that I met with him he was informative, reassuring and supportive going out of his way making it clear that he was always on hand for any further information that I thought I might need. Everything was thoroughly discussed by him as well as informing me of all of the alternatives available to me, of both medical and non medical. Including the support networks that are available following this up with written information. Richard gave me all of his contact details and even informed me of which would be the best to use for the quickest response. In short a brilliant person to deal with who always left you in a better place each and evert time you meet him. Best Regards and many thanks Richard, Graham

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Written by a carer at Furness General Hospital

Richard is absolutely brilliant. My husband was confused and slightly shocked at his diagnosis but after talking to Richard his fears have been allayed. Richard explained the diagnosis and the treatment step by step. he is very understanding and empathetic and gains your trust immediately. FGH and especially patients and their families are really lucky to have a man like Richard.

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Written by a patient at Furness General Hospital

When I first met Richard, I realised that he had total empathy with my situation, which fortunately was not as bad as it could have been... . At every stage, he has been an amazing support. When he phoned me at 5.30pm on a Friday evening, to tell me that my problem is curable, I realised that he has a selfless devotion to the patients that he deals with. That phone call meant that the discussions that my wife and I were able to have with our two children who had changed their plans and travelled home to the Lakes from London and Bristol for the weekend were very different to those that we would have had without that amazing news. We are in excellent hands... . All the care and support that I (and my wife) have received from the NHS in the traumatic last few weeks has been faultless. Thank you!

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