It’s all change at Velindre Hospital
Feb
Velindre NHS Trust, which runs Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch, is working with Local Health Boards, patients, carers and the community, and the voluntary sector on an ambitious new programme which aims to improve the quality of services provided and the outcomes for patients by:
- Reducing the numbers of us getting cancer
- Reducing the time taken for diagnosis of cancer
- Treating patients closer to their homes where possible
- Improving the treatment for patients with cancer using the best clinical techniques and technology
- Developing a satellite radiotherapy unit within south east Wales which improves access for patients
- accelerating the exciting research and development activities to improve care
- and building a new, state of the art cancer centre, at a cost of more than £200m, here in Whitchurch.
A programme team based at Velindre Cancer Centre is currently working on the plans. Two business cases, will be submitted to the Welsh Government during the summer of 2016 seeking support to proceed with the programme.
This year marks Velindre’s 60th anniversary so the plans are especially timely.
“We’re currently working on the detail of the improved set of services with wide range of people who have a view on what they should look like in the future together with our NHS, public service and voluntary sector partners,” said Programme Director Carl James.
“Our aim is to offer many of the services currently carried out at Velindre closer to patients’ homes where safe and possible. We are working with our Local Health Boards to identify the type of services which can be delivered locally and the best locations for them.
“This will be supported by the development of a new Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff which will continue to provide a range of highly specialist treatments. We believe this will enable more patients to access services within their community and better outcomes, such as increased survival, to be achieved.”
Initial work suggests that a number of services currently provided by Velindre within Local Health Boards could be increased.
Patients have been taking part in workshops to design the new service. One, 44 year old Lisa Harvey, who was treated for breast cancer at Velindre, said:
“I’ve been really pleased to be part of this. I think treatment and care closer to home is important for people still trying to work and hold down jobs while they’re undergoing cancer treatment.”
If the changes go ahead, it would mean that more treatment time would be freed up at the new Velindre Cancer Centre.
That’s needed because the bad news is that more of us will get cancer in future, and need more complex treatments. But the good news is more and more of us are surviving for longer.
Tom Crosby, the clinical lead for the programme, and a Velindre consultant, said:
“We really want you to have as much knowledge as possible about the future plans.
“The Transforming Cancer Services programme is all about co-production. That means equalising the relationship between clinical staff, patients and the public. We know how many patients are keen to step forward, take responsibility and give something back after their treatment.”
Velindre Cancer Centre will be holding a number of open evenings where the developing plans for the new site, and the programme as a whole, will be discussed.
The first is on Monday, March 14th, 2016 at Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Rd, Whitchurch, Cardiff. CF14 2TL. It will start at 6pm and is expected to last for about an hour.
Other sessions will be advertised on the Transforming Cancer Services pages of the Velindre website: http://www.velindrecc.wales.nhs.uk/introduction
If you’d like to come, please give Catherine Currier a call on 029 2061 5888 x4640
Or email tcsprogramme@wales.nhs.uk
You can ask for more information, or invite the programme team to come and talk to your organisation via that email address too.
