A dad with degenerative arthritis became the 1,000th patient through the doors of the Freeman Hospital's new day treatment centre earlier this month.
David Metcalfe, 64, is undergoing "deep pain treatment" for his condition in Newcastle - and was sent from the RVI to the Freeman's new £24m facility for treatment. This day treatment centre, which opened in September, is isolated from the pressures afflicting the rest of the hospital trust by design, meaning that patients like David were able to receive their treatment in a timely fashion despite the unprecedented demands on the NHS.
David, who is from Cumbria but has been travelling east for treatment, said he hoped the injection could even leave him pain-free. He added: "I’ve gone from being quite active to struggling to walk more than 10 or 20 metres without severe pain in my lower back. I’m hoping the injection will reduce the pain or maybe even leave me pain free."
