Campaign to halt children’s cancer care move progresses with letter to Secretary of State for Health

Seven councils, representing 2.7million people, have come together over calls to halt the controversial move of children’s cancer services.

​​Treatment for about 1,400 children aged under 15 is provided by St George’s Hospital in Blackshaw Road, Tooting and the Royal Marsden Hospital in Downs Road, Sutton.

But in March, NHS England said that from autumn 2026, the Evelina London Children’s Hospital in Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, will provide the care. As part of the move, radiotherapy will be provided at University College Hospital.

A cross-party campaign, led by Wandsworth council, has seen Croydon, Merton, Richmond, Kingston, Sutton, and Surrey county council write to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, following their formal referral of the decision last week.

The letter signed by all seven council leaders states that the “safest option for patients is to continue services at St George’s Hospital” and that a move “would be a step in the wrong direction.”

Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth council, said: “This unprecedented coming together of councils from across the political spectrum shows just how important keeping cancer care at St George’s is to us all. 

“Between us we represent 2.7million people and we are united in saying ‘keep specialist children’s cancer care in Wandsworth’.”

The decision for the transfer was made after new service rules in 2021 set out that specialist cancer treatment services for children must be on the same site as a level-three children’s intensive care unit, which the Royal Marsden does not have.

NHS leaders said all three hospitals would “ensure a smooth handover” and have stressed there will be “no sudden changes to children’s care”.

But parents claimed the move would be more expensive, less efficient in terms of staffing, and could negatively impact patients by making it harder to travel by car for treatment.

A petition set up opposing the move in October 2023, by 45-year-old Surrey resident Jenny Houghton, has received more than 12,000 signatures. 

Parents of children who currently receive care at St George’s said they had been left “completely devastated” after plans were announced.

A spokesman from NHS England said: “We chose Evelina London as the future location for the service following a robust process over several years that has involved clinical cancer specialists, children with cancer and their parents, NHS staff, local communities and their representatives, this included a 12-week public consultation, and very careful consideration of all the information that was shared through this alongside other relevant evidence.

“Our consultation received more than 2,650 responses. Alongside this, we ran 115 online or face to face engagement meetings. Of these, 58 were with children, young people, their families and staff currently working in the PTC and 25 were with equalities groups.”

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesman said: “The DHSC is aware of concerns raised by MPs, patients and Wandsworth council and will consider next steps.”

Pictured top: From left, Lewis Houghton being held by his father, and Jenny Houghton with their daughter (Picture: Jenny Houghton)