7 councils ask Streeting to appeal child cancer decision – Inside Croydon

Croydon joined six other local authorities in south London and Surrey in making a request to the new Labor government’s health secretary to call for plans to move children’s cancer care from the Royal Marsden Hospital in Belmont and St George’s, Tooting.

New center: Evelina, next to St Thomas’ Hospital, will be the region’s children’s cancer centre

A “business case” decision was published by the NHS in March to move children’s cancer services from south London and south-east England to the Evelina Children’s Hospital in Waterloo, despite a petition against the change that received 12,000 signatures.

Under the controversial plans, radiotherapy treatment will be provided at University College Hospital, in central London.

Treatment for approximately 1,400 children under 15 is affected by prosals.

Children’s Cancer Centers (known as Primary Treatment Centers) provide highly specialized diagnosis, treatments and care coordination. There are 13 in England.

‘Business case’: report on childhood cancer care, published in March this year

The move is being made in part because of limitations in intensive care provision at the Royal Marsden. In 2021, new service rules state that specialist children’s cancer services must be co-located with a level three pediatric intensive care unit. Royal Marsden doesn’t have one.

This service is currently provided by St George’s in Tooting. Children’s cancer care at St George’s is to end.

A 12-week public consultation of children, families and staff, led by NHS England in late 2023, looked at options for both St George’s and Evelina Children’s Hospitals, prompting a mixed response – with concerns raised with looking at patients traveling further to gain access. care.

Council leaders from Sutton, Kingston, Richmond, Merton, Wandsworth, Surrey County and Croydon signed the letter sent today to Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health. The cross-party letter – the councils are under Labour, LibDem and Tory control – said: “Seven of our councils have taken the unprecedented step of coming together to send you formal submissions to appeal the decision to consolidate south London and the main cancer treatment for South-East children at the Evelina Hospital.

“We trust you are aware that this is a decision we have campaigned against since the intention was first expressed by NHS England.

“Together we represent 2.7 million people … We hope that our united action on this decision is a signal to you of how we feel on this issue.”

The letter from council leaders, who include Sutton’s Barry Lewis and Croydon mayor Jason Perry, claims the NHS’s cost-benefit analysis of trips to Evelina “failed to adequately understand the patient experience – which is of critical importance”. .

The letter states: “Public transport is not a viable option for those with an immunocompromised child, and the stress of having to drive across central London, often at short notice… is simply not a viable solution for putting families to get through it.”

Unprecedented: Seven councils, including Croydon, have joined forces to call for the decision on children’s cancer to be called by the Secretary of State

The letter quotes one parent as “absolutely devastated if this change continues”.

Board leaders refer to St George’s Hospital’s “25 years of pediatric cancer care, including complex surgery”, and this experience cannot be replicated at Evelina.

“We struggle to see how the difficulties and complexity associated with trying to replicate the existing services and experience at St George’s Hospital, including potentially requiring staff to travel between hospitals, represents better value for patient care and safety or improves staff conditions and wellbeing . .

“We understand that the safest option for patients is to continue services at St George’s Hospital and moving to Evelina would be a step in the wrong direction.

“Making the NHS fit for the 21st century must put the patient experience first.”

When announcing the decision four months ago, Dr Chris Streather, chief medical officer for NHS London, said: “Reconfiguring the service is rarely easy, but the decision … will ensure that children with cancer in south London and much of south east London will continue to receive the best possible care now and in the future.”

Inside Croydon – If you want real journalism, delivering real news, from a publication that is based in the borough, please consider paying for it. Sign up today: Click here for more details

• If you have a story about life in or around Croydon, or want to advertise your residents’ association or business, or have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@ btinternet.com

• As featured on Google News Showcase

• ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s most rotten boroughs for the seventh consecutive year in the annual summary of civic advertising Private magazine