The centre supports more than 500 people living with cancer across the East Midlands
The Nottinghamshire ICB, which currently runs the mental health cancer care, is based Sir John Robinson House(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
The future of a vital service that supports more than 500 cancer patients in the East Midlands has been confirmed after fears it would be shut down.
Since last June, the local NHS has repeatedly denied the East Midlands Cancer Alliance Centre for Psychosocial Health would be closing – despite prominent unions and campaign groups suggesting otherwise.
The centre provides vital therapy and mental health support services for cancer patients across the region, and has been branded “the best example” of its kind in the country.
On Monday (February 9), Unite the union claimed they had received confirmation that the centre would be closed at the end of March, with 15 jobs lost.
However, the integrated care board (ICB) for Nottinghamshire says the service is not closing, but will instead be ran by another part of the local NHS.
The cancer care mental health services will now be provided by Nottingham University Hospital (NUH), the NHS trust which runs Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) and City Hospital.
As NUH currently runs its own cancer services, the East Midlands Cancer Alliance Centre for Psychosocial Health will be incorporated rather than ran separately.
A spokesperson for the ICB explained: “The psycho-social services counselling service that is referred to is not stopping.
“Rather, we are introducing a change in the provider of this important level four psychosocial support in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
“It is important to assure people that this change in provider results in no cessation or change to the scope of the service, access to it or the quality of the service offered.”
Robert Fisk, a national campaigner for cancer services, called the service one of the best of its kind in the country(Image: Humphrey Nemar/ Daily Express)
The centre provides services to patients in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland.
In particular, it offers level four psychological services – given to patients who require a high level of support after their cancer diagnosis.
The move to integrate these services into those provided by NUH means patients will no longer require a referral to a separate service, the spokesperson added.
“We have worked alongside the team [at NUH], and other referrers, to ensure a positive transition which remains high quality and effective for the people receiving it,” they added.
“Any patients who have already started their treatment with NHT will complete it with them, prioritising their personal continuity of care and patient experience.”
The service was set up four years ago as a pilot, but has since won awards for its patient care and it now runs clinical trials that could help cut down NHS waiting lists.
Robert Fisk, a national campaigner for cancer services, previously told Nottinghamshire Live that the service is one of the best of its kind in the country.
The Daily Express journalist was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer in 2023 and is leading the newspaper’s Cancer Care campaign.
It calls on the government to ensure all cancer patients get access to mental health support both during and after their treatment.
Robert was previously made aware of the East Midlands Cancer Alliance Centre as part of his ongoing campaign, and explained he feared a closure of the centre would be “short-sighted”.
Meanwhile Mike Scott, spokesman for the Nottingham branch of Keep Our NHS Public campaign group, previously called for the service to be saved amid the rumours it would be shut down.