CANCER patients can be confident they are receiving world-class treatment after the department at Southend Hospital was given a prestigious accreditation.

The Department of Radiotherapy and Radiotherapy Physics, which uses radiation to help kill cancer cells, has been accredited by CHKS for its processes and standards which meet international best practice standards.

This means that the services are safe, reliable and of good quality. They also meet the high standards required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), giving the trust a huge seal of approval when it comes to cancer care.

James Green, head of radiotherapy, said: “Our cancer patients come to us from all corners of Essex and this recognition rubber stamps for them that when they come to Southend they are receiving world-class radiotherapy treatment.

“Accreditation is not given lightly, so it is a real beacon of quality and ensures that the whole radiotherapy patient experience at Southend, from door to door, is at the very highest level possible. The whole radiotherapy team has done themselves and their patients proud.”

This year the service has already treated 1,700 patients for everything from more common cancers, such as breast and prostate, to rare cancers.

CHKS is a leading provider of healthcare intelligence and the trust was assessed by a team of external senior healthcare professionals.

They use an online system to record information about processes and standards which are submitted by the applicants. This allows users to view comparative information between departments and services and to monitor performance, progress and compliance. Once this information has been submitted, the CHKS external team of surveyors carries out a final assessment.

Moyra Amess, associate director for assurance and accreditation at CHKS, said: “Every organisation we make this award to has proved to our external assessors that its standards and processes meet international best practice standards. This is a significant achievement.”