Gold Coast Hospital Foundation

The funds raised from Dry July 2023 are helping Gold Coast Hospital Foundation continue their cancer patient transport service.

The cancer patient transport removes the worry and stress of getting to and from treatment by providing patients with a free and reliable transport service.

A huge thank you to our wonderful Dry July Fundraisers and supporters.

We wanted to give you an update on previous Dry July projects that were funded by our wonderful Dry July fundraisers and their supporters.

2021

Bladder Scanner for C1East the Oncology Inpatient Unit.

Our Oncology nurses were saying that they had to borrow a bladder scanner from another ward whenever they needed to use it. Bladder scanners allow nursing staff to scan and assess the amount of urine in the bladder on the spot in real time. Oncology patients require bladder assessments due to unique Cancer treatments that may affect the bladder directly.

Patients suffering urinary retention often caused by, obstruction, disease, infection (common in Oncology patients) can often suffer great amounts of pain. Prompt assessment of the balder will lead to faster intervention and better patient outcomes including shorter periods of pain crisis.

The staff in the Oncology Inpatient Unit were so excited to receive the Bladder Scanner from Dry July fundraising.

2020

The Oncology Day Unit located at Gold Coast University Hospital is always busy treating patients. Over 4000 patients each week. The 2020 Dry July campaign was extra special as we had the amazing Dr Liz Fitzmaurice contact us about fundraising for a Paxman Scalp Cooling Machine. Liz was able to use the Paxman at a private facility on the Gold Coast whilst undergoing chemotherapy treatment. She was very pleased with the outcome and wanted public patients to have the same opportunities. She enlisted the support of Griffith University Rotary Club and signed up for the Dry July challenge. There was also support from a number of supporters who enabled us to purchase this equipment which is located in the very busy Oncology Day Unit. A huge thank you to the combined Rotary groups that helped fundraise and apply for a grant from Rotary International. Also to the Gold Coast Community Fund and the Dry July supporters along with Dry July Foundation. It was a collective effort that will make a huge difference to the patients who can be use this equipment.

Your fundraising for Dry July has enabled Gold Coast Hospital Foundation to purchase a bladder scanner that is currently a priority on the Oncology Inpatients Unit Wish List.

Bladder scanners allow nursing staff to scan and assess the amount of urine in the bladder on the spot in real time. Oncology patients require bladder assessments due to unique Cancer treatments that may affect the bladder directly.

Patients suffering urinary retention often caused by, obstruction, disease, infection (common in Oncology patients) can often suffer great amounts of pain. Prompt assessment of the bladder will lead to faster intervention and better patient outcomes including shorter periods of pain crisis.

Thank you, Dry Julyers! 

Gold Coast Hospital Foundation’s Cancer Patient Transport Service provides an invaluable lifeline for local cancer patients like Paulette, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in 2011.

Paulette was one of the first patients to use the Foundation’s Cancer Patient Transport Service and still benefits from this crucial service today. Without the Cancer Patient Transport Service, Paulette and fellow cancer patients would worry how to travel safely and reliably to hospital and back home.

“When you’re a regular like me, it gives you independence. You can’t expect to rely on family, friends or neighbours to drive you all the time. It’s an essential service that is vital to our wellbeing,” Paulette said.

By taking part in Dry July and choosing to fundraise for Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, you will be providing much-needed funding for the vital transport service, which provides approximately 5,300 important journeys to hospital each year, helping more than 960 cancer patients across the Gold Coast who are too ill to drive or unable to afford transport.

Go Dry in July and help local cancer patients get to and from hospital for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, tests and appointments.

This equipment provides our wonderful Oncology nurses the chance to cannulate those patients having treatment in the very busy Cancer Day Unit with difficult venous access the first time and make this the best attempt! This causes less distress to patients.

We purchased 4 tablets that work in conjunction with these machines and support staff training. The cost of the bundles included training from the supplier to "super users" clinical nurses who have developed a program to train all required staff on the use of this equipment.

Oncology and Haematology patients receive long term treatments which can involve multiple cannulations with difficult peripheral access. Their veins can be compromised by chemotherapy, surgical procedures (mastectomy & lumpectomy), blood disorders and the psychological burden of many attempts and multiple cannulations over a long period of time.

This equipment is invaluable for patients who have difficult venous access. The ultrasound machine assists in limiting psychological and physiological damage caused by too many cannulation attempts.

The nurses in the Cancer Day Unit are overjoyed by receiving this gift through Dry July. Many of our Dry July fundraisers are the very nurses who benefit from these wonderful donations. We honestly can’t thank you enough for helping cancer patients on the Gold Coast.