Royal Marsden: Children's cancer care petition hits 11,000 names

A petition calling to stop the relocation of children's cancer services for south London and the South East has reached 11,000 signatures.

Treatment for about 1,400 children aged under 15 is currently provided by The Royal Marsden Hospital at Sutton and St George's Hospital in Tooting.

Plans would see future care provided at either St George's or Evelina London Children's Hospital in Lambeth, causing concerns about travel.

A decision will be made on 14 March.

The cancer service treats children from south London, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Kent and Medway and most of Surrey.

In 2021, new service rules set out that specialist cancer treatment services for children must be on the same site as a level three children's intensive care unit, but The Royal Marsden does not have one.

This service is currently being provided by St George's in Tooting.

The BBC understands following an NHS England assessment process, a bid from Evelina Children's Hospital is the leading option for the new principal treatment centre, ahead of a similar offer by St George's Hospital.

Whichever option is picked, children's cancer care will move away from the Royal Marsden in Sutton, although that is not expected to happen until at least 2026. Children's cancer care at St George's would also end if Evelina is the chosen option.

A 12-week public consultation of children, families and staff, run by NHS England at the end of 2023, looked at the options for both St George's and Evelina Children's Hospital, prompting a mixed response - with concerns raised about patients travelling further to access care.

A final South West London and Surrey Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting is taking place on Thursday.

In a report, the committee said it had not been "swayed" by the consultation findings, adding the results had "reiterated the issues and strong feelings from patients, families and clinicians with regards to any move of service, and in particular a move of service to the Evelina".

The committee says it has recognised the "risk-adapted model" suggestion, whereby children would be assessed and, if not high risk, would not have their treatment relocated away from the Royal Marsden. It has asked NHS England to take "steps to see whether this option can be pursued".

The model suggests children who may require intensive care services, who would be in a minority, are treated at St George's.

Previously, Dr Chris Streather, medical director for NHS England, has said: "The Royal Marsden has an impressive track record of delivering high quality care for children but the pace of innovation in children's cancer treatment means that, to be fit for the future, the centre must move to be with intensive care."

The proposed changes only affect very specialist cancer services that are already provided in London. Children who receive other types of cancer treatment in regional centres like Brighton will continue to do so in the future.

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