The shake-up of Northampton General Hospital could mean basic cancer services end up closer to patients, a top doctor has said, ahead of a webchat hosted by the Chron today.
Dr Christine Elwell, a clinical oncologist at NGH, said that, although the most specialised cancer care is to be concentrated in just three hospitals in the region, most cancer patients would see a benefit.
She said: “We are not trying to undo all the good work, we are trying to build on it.
“We truly don’t know yet exactly how Northampton General Hospital will be affected.
“It may mean certain things such as blood tests can increasingly be done at home and even some types of chemotherapy, if the patient wants that.
“This process needn’t be only about moving things further away.”
The changes are being talked about under the banner of Healthier Together.
NHS bosses are still planning which three hospitals out of NGH, Kettering General, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton and Dunstable will concerntrate on complex and specialised treatments.
The other two hospitals will continue to have good facilities but will be better for patients needing planned treatment such as elective hip or knee operations.
Dr Elwell said the need for concentrated cancer expertise had grown out of more cases.
She said: “We don’t want to worry people by saying things aren’t good at the moment. The need is just a reflection of the ageing population and things like obesity.
“But we are making inroads and can improve further by being more efficient. When teams see more patients every day they get better at diagnosing and even more accurate at certain procedures. It’s experience that makes the difference.
“I think cancer patients will get this process a bit better than most of the general public because it is seen as such a serious disease. They will see the need that travelling just a bit further can make a big difference.”
More details can be found on their website
Visit the Chron website between 12.30pm and 1.30pm today to ask Dr Elwell your own questions about the future of cancer services.
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