Patient donates bell 'of hope' and gets first ring

A cancer patient who donated an "end of treatment" bell said he had been honoured to become the first person to ring it.

For four years, Bill Clarke, 81, from Loddington, Northamptonshire, went to Kettering General Hospital for bladder cancer care.

Before his final chemotherapy session, he asked staff if there was a bell patients rang when they reached a treatment milestone. When he was told there was not, he and his wife, Alison, bought one.

The father, grandfather and great-grandfather said it had been a way of saying "thank you to the team who have been brilliant at looking after me for the last four years".

He added: "I was coming to the end of my treatment and I wanted to finish it by ringing the bell, as I have seen happen elsewhere..."

Alison Clarke said they had bought the bell online.

She added: "I took it to Timpson's in Kettering to have it engraved with his name on and when we went to pick it up there was no charge, they paid for it."

Paige Dawson, a urology nurse, said the hospital could not have asked for a better patient.

"It's so lovely to see it [the bell] on the wall now and be reminded of them both.

"We're very grateful.

"Coming to end of treatment, often after a two or three-year journey, is a real milestone and ringing the bell seems to be a great way for patients who want to, to complete that journey," she added.

Jo Smith, also a urology nurse, said: "It is a symbol of hope after people have often been through a tough time with their cancer."

Laura Chambers, urology matron, said: "Having Bill as the first person to ring his bell felt very appropriate.

"It is a great symbol for us to use to help our patients mark the end of their cancer treatment."

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