A specially designed, charity-funded mobile cancer care unit offers great advantages for patients and staff alike
Working in partnership with NHS trusts is crucial to making sure our mobile units continue to help bring cancer treatment to more patients in more convenient locations.
In a fantastic article in the the Nursing Times written by Pat Dyminski, lead chemotherapy/haematology/acute oncology clinical nurse specialist, at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Pat highlights the benefits for patients, nursing staff and the wider NHS.
Pat Dyminski
Abstract
Cancer treatments have, traditionally, meant patients had to regularly travel to hospital for treatment, which can be a significant distance. The NHS is focused on developing services closer to home, based on patient choice and involving shared decision making. At Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, the principle of care closer to home has been applied in the delivery of cancer services: in collaboration with the charity Hope for Tomorrow, the trust has started to use mobile cancer care units. These units allow patients to have their treatment delivered near to their home by specialist secondary care cancer teams and reduces the need for travel to the hospital. Airedale General Hospital is a rural district general hospital and covers a large geographical area, so the units have a positive impact on the patient experience.
The full piece is available to read on the Nursing Times website, click to read more or view the PDF version here.
Thanks to Pat Dyminski and Nursing Times for their work on this article.
