From patient to part of the team, Matt’s radiotherapy story
18 years ago, Matt Higman was a patient at Derriford Hospital, fighting for his life after a sudden brain haemorrhage. Inspired by the team who cared for him, Matt decided to change his career to join the NHS and is now the Lead Radiotherapy Engineer at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP).
“I came from a service engineering background and was working in the semi-conductor industry at the time,” Matt explains. “There was no warning. I just had a bad headache for a couple of days prior - nothing that seemed particularly alarming. Then suddenly I collapsed and had a fit. It turned out I'd had a bleed on the brain. I was only 34, married, with two young children. It was terrifying.”
Matt subsequently learnt that he had been born with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a condition where blood vessels are abnormally tangled, creating irregular connections between arteries and veins that can, without warning, rupture. To treat it, the team at Derriford used radiotherapy to cauterise the source of the bleeding, which at the time was a relatively new procedure.
“To this day, I still consider myself to be incredibly lucky. My treatment was successful and, apart from roughly ten days’ worth of memory loss from the time of the bleed, I have no lasting symptoms whatsoever. Not every patient who suffers a brain haemorrhage gets that outcome, and I'm very aware of that.”
Inspired by his treatment and the care he received, Matt decided to retrain as a radiotherapy engineer and joined UHP in 2019.
“It became my ambition that one day, should the opportunity arise, I would come to work at Derriford as a radiotherapy engineer. I see it as my chance to give back - to the department, and to the team who saved my life and ultimately transformed my family’s life.”
Matt is keen to share his experience to raise the profile and understanding of what radiotherapy is and how it can help patients.
“Before I started in Radiotherapy, I had no idea that there were two very different branches of Radiography. Diagnostic Radiography covers a huge range of modalities, including x-ray, CT, MRI, mammography, ultrasound and even Interventional Radiography. Therapeutic Radiographers on the other hand work in Oncology to deliver cancer treatment. I work on the mechanical and technical rather than the clinical side of Radiotherapy, and my role involves supporting the maintenance, servicing and repair of the linear accelerators (LINACs) that deliver radiotherapy treatment. It’s a fascinating area and certainly one I’d recommend to anyone looking for a career that can take them anywhere in the world.”
This week the Plymouth Oncology Centre will officially open an £18.5 million extension, which includes a new decant bunker housing a state-of-the-art linear accelerator (LINAC) to deliver external radiotherapy, as well as a dedicated High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy facility, to deliver internal radiotherapy.
"When I was a patient here, I was treated on machines that are now being phased out as part of this development programme," Matt adds. "The new LINAC we're bringing in represents a genuine leap forward with greater reliability, speed, and precision, but also the ability to participate in new research and offer new treatments, like the one that saved my life.
“Having been in the patients’ shoes myself, I understand at a very human level why this matters. Why it's so important to keep pushing, to keep improving the experience and the outcomes for the people who come through those doors.
“I would imagine that many people who work here have their own story, mine is very personal and I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to follow my passion. I’m incredibly proud of the job that I do and the service that we as the Radiotherapy and Radiotherapy Physics departments deliver every single day.”
Chris Bowen, Radiotherapy Services Manager, said: “Matt has been an outstanding asset to our service following his remarkable journey from patient to integral member of the team.
Although Matt’s role is highly technical in nature, having faced adversity and come out the other end, Matt brings a very compassionate and human presence within the department and demonstrates a real empathy towards patients and staff alike.
“Matt’s warmth, approachability and genuine empathy help create a positive environment within the department, and his enthusiasm for supporting others, promoting the service and giving something back is evident in everything he does. His can-do attitude, professionalism and positivity make him a true inspiration to the whole team and I am very grateful to have Matt supporting the radiotherapy team.”
