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New service means children with cancer can receive care closer to home

6 November 2019

Children and young people with cancer can now receive care closer to home thanks to a new service provided at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI).

The RLI Children’s Unit has achieved Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit (POSCU) level 1 status, which means that children and young people needing cancer treatments including blood and platelet transfusions and care for chemotherapy complications can be managed at the RLI rather than a specialist hospital.

The service is aligned with the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH), with care being shared between both organisations. This ensures that each patient receives the best hospital care for their needs, while also allowing local patients to have better access to the community support services available across Morecambe Bay.

Laura Norton, RLI Children’s Unit Manager, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), said:

“It is always devastating to hear that your child has cancer, and needing to travel miles away from home for treatment can add additional stress.

“Achieving POSCU status at the RLI is an excellent step forward for our hospital and community cancer services. It means that we can look after some children much closer to home, and hopefully help to reduce the stress of receiving cancer treatment for them and their families.”

“By working in partnership with staff at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, we will also benefit from the guidance and support of their specialist clinicians in making decisions about the best care for each patient.”

The Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit service at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary officially started on 1 September 2019.