Plans to move children’s cancer care to new hospital ‘deeply concerning’

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

Proposals that could see children’s cancer care moved from a hospital have been slammed as “deeply concerning” by a local council and MP.

NHS England is considering a proposal to move the children’s cancer centre based at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, to the Evelina Children’s Hospital in Lambeth.

Wandsworth council leader Simon Hogg and Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan raised concerns families of children with cancer would struggle to travel by car to reach the Evelina on Westminster Bridge Road.

They also argued moving services to the Evelina would be more expensive.

A spokeswoman at St George’s Hospital said: “St George’s is the only children’s hospital in the region with 25 years’ experience of delivering specialist cancer care, surgery and intensive care for children.

“Uniquely, our proposal is the only option where young people with brain cancer will get all their treatment, including surgery, at one hospital.”

The option is being considered by NHS England as it plans to move the Children’s Cancer Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) for South London, Kent, Medway, Surrey, East Sussex, Brighton and Hove to one location.

St George’s and the Evelina have put forward bids for the PTC and both proposals are being taken forward for public consultation. The PTC is for children aged 15 and under with cancer.

In a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, Councillor Hogg and Dr Allin-Khan said parents of children with cancer prefer to take their child to hospital via car rather than public transport, due to low immunity issues.

They said driving and parking in central London would be more difficult, while St George’s can “ensure easy car access with dedicated spaces for child cancer patients”.

They added it would be cheaper to base the PTC at St George’s as a “large part of the service already exists there and additional office space can be converted into further facilities”.

They also claimed moving the PTC to the Evelina could create a funding shortfall as paediatric specialists would need to remain at St George’s for their other services, despite a loss in funding from patients being relocated.

A public consultation on both options is due to begin this summer and NHS England will make a final decision after reviewing feedback and considering all information. Services are not expected to move before 2026.

A spokesman for Evelina London Children’s Hospital said: “As the only dedicated and purpose-built specialist children’s hospital in the region, we have submitted a proposal to NHS England that describes our exciting vision for the future of children’s cancer care and research.

“A new Principal Treatment Centre at Evelina London Children’s Hospital would see children’s cancer services co-located with a full range of outstanding specialist paediatric services.”

A spokesman for NHS England – London said: “With future, cutting-edge treatments being developed for children with cancer, it’s important we move to provide treatment in the best possible way on one site alongside intensive care and other specialised children’s services.

“No decision has yet been made on the location of the new Principal Treatment Centre.”

Pictured top: St George’s Hospital (Picture: St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)