Welcome to the autumn 2018 Friends newsletter
A welcome note from Dr Gerard McLauchlan
Launching a new service in a hospital is always going to be tough. Launching a new service most vets have perhaps not heard of can be even tougher!
Almost 18 months have passed since I joined Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue and what a journey it has been.
While the number of specialists continues to grow – the most recent appointments being Michael Macfarlane (European Specialist in Oncology), Audrey Belmudes (European Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging) and Audrey Petite (European Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging) – the ethos of the hospital remains unchanged – to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families and to drive forward the field of veterinary oncology through research, education and clinical work.
The Interventional Radiology (IR) service works very closely with our medical and surgical oncology teams. Together we have been developing new and innovative methods of treating cancer including targeted intra-arterial chemotherapy and ablation therapies. We have seen some truly remarkable results in the treatment of non-resectable liver tumours, prostatic cancer and bladder tumours amongst others. Other conditions treated through the IR service include urinary tract disease, portosystemic shunts, respiratory disease and many others. My background as an internal medicine specialist is certainly put to good use on a daily basis!
A special thank you has to go to Jen O’Keeffe the senior IR nurse (the “IR Mum” who I would be completely lost without!) and also to Dr Alex Horton from the Royal Surrey Hospital – Alex is a human Interventional Radiologist and his brother, a veterinary surgeon. The support and expertise Alex has provided over the past 18 months has been truly remarkable.
Thank you to all the vets who have supported the service and trusted us with your patients. To the patients and their families who have been part of this exciting journey over the past 18 months – it has been a pleasure to get to know all of you. I look forward to seeing what the next year brings.
Dr Gerard McLauchlan
Senior Clinician in Interventional Radiology
BVMS DipECVIM-CA FHEA MRCVS
