Cancer patients are increasingly concerned that urgently needed operations have been cancelled because of Covid19, with no timescale for rescheduling on the horizon. But is it possible to deliver operations safely as the pandemic rages? We heard from Alison Tait last week- one of the few to have an operation in Edinburgh. So how rare is her experience? What factors are involved when doctors make these decisions? This time on Ripples, I’ve been talking to Professor Mike Griffin of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.

Not many cancer patients are getting operations at the moment but Alison Tait's story is different. This is the unedited version of the interview that appeared on podcast 7 (enclosing a 30 gap with a telephone interruption at 23 mins!!)

This time we get to hear the amazing story of how Alison Tait had a mastectomy amidst the covid 19 pandemic. She had the operation during lockdown and told me all about the experience… Not all of it as you might think, negative.

This time Clare hears from World-class oncology expert an avid Tweeter Professor Karol Sikora. He gives his reaction to the recent CRUK remarks about trials been put off for a further 6 to 12 months. Cancer Patients Dr Georgina Morgan and Lesley Stephen discuss the implications of this on their differing personal situations.

This time it’s all about patients and pharma. What impact is the Covid-19 pandemic having on treatments and trials? Are there some positive ripple effects? Clare hears from Diarmaid Macdonald of Just Treatment- a patient led campaigning organisation and from Dr Olivia Ashman, Pfizer’s UK Oncology Director.

This time Clare speaks to doctor Susie Cooke from Glasgow’s precision oncology lab (GPOL) about how her cancer research has been affected by the covid onslaught. She also hears from GP now patient Dr Georgina Morgan who has advanced appendix cancer.

In this addition Clare continues to look at the problems faced by cancer patients in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Following on from last time, she’s concentrating on palliative care . How are staff coping with the increasing pressure? Andrew Anderson from Maggie’s in Edinburgh talks to Clare about the challenges.

In this addition Clare continues to look at the problems faced by cancer patients in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. What’s happening to their treatment? What support is still there? This time she concentrates on the palliative care sector and hears from Andy Reeves from Marie Curie about day-to-day challenges.

Ripples is all about unintended consequences that result from events or decisions taken.They can be both good and bad.The current crisis with the Covid virus is what I’m concentrating on initially..I’m zooming in on the experience of cancer patients for the first few episodes because their lives really seem to be hanging in the balance as the NHS struggles to cope with the pandemic.I’m bringing together patients ,carers, medics and scientists..I hope that their perspectives and stories will shed some light on a very difficult subject.