Tamworth business The Treatment Trend Co. are finalists for two business awards

"I was part of the Mamamia Lady Start-up course and I was working clinically and seeing patients sitting in populated waiting rooms wearing hospital or disposable robes with no undergarments," she said.

"It is not something that is required, wearing that is purely an efficiently thing. So I was sitting there brainstorming with my husband and then I said to him, 'it would be like if only you had a robe you wanted to give someone to take to all their treatments'."

"We froze and stared at each other and then he asked 'is that a thing?'"

After a quick Google search and reaching out to both the public and private heath sectors, Mrs Chapman found that there was nothing like it on the market.

"We reached out and asked people how they felt about hospital robes and if this would be okay if someone could take their own treatment robes. It became quite evident that departments didn't have a lot of options and wanted to something better," she said.

So she made it.

The robes are designed to be worn by patients either front to back or back to front, allowing for them to have a sense of privacy and control while undergoing treatment.

"A lot of that came into a clinical practicality because of how we set up patients and what we require. Even down to making sure the opening of the arm was big enough, so you could fit through, but not so big that it becomes gapping," Mrs Chapman said.

After taking her idea to her best friend and fellow radiation therapist Stevie Reading, the pair launched their own business, and called it The Treatment Trend Co.

In just three years they have cultivated a thriving business, which has just been announced as finalist for Australian Women's Small Business Champion in the category of social enterprise, and as a finalist in the Tamworth Quality Business Awards in excellence in micro-business.

"There is nothing around like us, we are the first ones to do this," Mrs Chapman said.

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The robes are lent to cancer patients while undergoing treatment at Tamworth hospital, paid for by the Serendipity Committee, and can also be found at Westmead hospital, and radiation therapy departments including Coffs Harbour, Liverpool, Macarthur, Central Coast, and Darwin.

Patients or fashionistas can also purchase their own robe via www.thetreatmenttrendco.com.au.

"We most recently stocked Breast Screen South Australia for the entire state and we created a custom pink robe," Mrs Reading said.

And the business shows no sign of slowing down, as orders continue to fly in every month.

What truly makes The Treatment Trend Co stand out, Mrs Chapman said, is their focus on patient-centred care.

"There is a big push at the moment for patient-centred care, while with COVID a lot of departments went from using hospital robes to only disposable robes and they've never gone back," she said.

"So, through a lot of surveying of departments and attending health conferences where we talk to a lot of healthcare professionals on the ground, we found a lot of places were getting patients to strip off in the corner of the room with a few people in the room and only have a pillow slip to cover themselves.

"So there is a real push to have patient-centred care and dignifying treatment."

Mrs Reading said as radiation therapists themselves, they were very numb to the nudity, but for patients this was not normal behaviour.

"We want to reset the normality around nudity. We are accustomed to seeing body parts, but our patients may not be so comfortable," she said

The range has expanded over the last few years to include colourful robes inspired by Australian artists. The line includes pants, robes for men, and scarves.

"We've also tried to think about the plus size people within the community and their insecurity. We had a woman message us and say 'I'm this size and I'm undergoing breast cancer treatment. I'd love one of your robes.'"

"After she completed treatment she messaged us saying 'I love my robe and it made treatment so much better'," Mrs Reading said.

Both women want to grow the business to potentially one day go international.

Mrs Reading said the service they're providing to hospitals and people is important, because even what is considered 'the fluffy stuff' can make a world of difference.

"It is so important for us to have a lot of conversations to be like this is worth it, because what does the patient actually notice, the new multi-million dollar scanner they are on, or how they felt when they are being treated," she said.