A mother-of two has praised hospital workers after discovering the fatigue and breathlessness she was suffering from was incurable cancer.

Phyll McVeigh, 75, has called the care she's received from Southmead Hospital 'amazing.'

Phyll discovered she had incurable blood cancer, myeloma, after feeling unusually tired. She had initially dismissed her symptoms as a by-product of ageing or a side-effect of taking beta-blockers for a life-long heart condition. 

Phyll, from Yate, spoke out after the team at Bristol's Southmead Hospital scooped a national award for its commitment to patients living with incurable blood cancer for the second time.

She said: “I’m so delighted they’ve received this award,” said the retired nurse, who worked at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

“I can’t fault my care. If you don’t have good health, you’ve got nothing.

"They make sure I can live my life, slower, but live my life. Being a nurse myself it feels like going back and chatting to friends and colleagues. They’ve all been amazing.”

Phyll received her diagnosis in January and has been treated at the hospital since February.

The hospital’s haematology team was presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award in recognition of its outstanding care and unflagging dedication to patients with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer which claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year.

This is the second time Southmead has received the award, which is only handed to a select few hospitals every four years.

Staff were praised for their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life and make clinical trials accessible to as many as possible.

Suriya Kirkpatrick, Senior Haematology Research Nurse at Southmead Hospital, said: “We are proud to receive the Myeloma UK CSEP award for clinical excellence. 

"We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of healthcare professionals who are passionate about caring for people with myeloma. Despite the challenges we faced following the COVID-19 outbreak we have been able to continue delivering high-quality care.

"This award recognises the efforts made by the whole team to maintain high standards and adapt how care is delivered to meet the needs of our patients.”