Scalp cooling works by lowering the temperature of the scalp during chemotherapy, which restricts blood flow to hair follicles and reduces the amount of medication that reaches them. This helps patients retain more of their hair during treatment. 

Chemotherapy patient Lara Smith from Reigate said "It has helped me maintain my sense of identity and meant I have been able to continue working for longer."

The new machines, one for each chemotherapy suite at East Surrey and Crawley Hospitals, were funded by donations to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity’s cancer fund, including from Gatwick Airport, and a major gift given by an anonymous supporter who had seen the difference scalp cooling can make to patients. 

Sarah Burton, Chief Nurse at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: 

“A huge thanks to our charity for supporting this new piece of equipment, which really does make a difference to our patients. Being able to reduce hair loss during what is quite a difficult treatment can make the experience just that little bit easier.” 

Amelia Ling, Lead SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy) Nurse and Matron at East Surrey Hospital, said: 

“When a patient has chemotherapy and loses their hair, it’s a visible sign of sickness or of someone being unwell, whether that’s to their family, their friends, or a stranger walking past them in the street or the shops. Scalp cooling therapy works to reduce this, meaning patients don’t lose as much of their hair, which is often a huge part of their identity and body image. Anything we can do to reduce that helps them feel more ‘normal’ again. Not all patients on chemotherapy can have scalp cooling, as not all treatments cause hair loss, but for those who can use it, it provides that additional support.” 

Surrey & Sussex Healthcare Charity are gdb members - to find out more, contact Andrew Bickerdike, Head of Charity on andrew.bickerdike@nhs.net or 01737 304668

The charity for Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Registered charity 1054072