The Henderson Suite at West Cumberland Hospital will close every Friday from November 7 due to ‘unexpected’ staffing issues.
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the service, said it was being ‘temporarily consolidated’ and the Trust expects to resume a five-day service once staffing is stabilised.
Cancer patient and former hospital campaigner Gerard Richardson, from Whitehaven, who receives care at The Henderson Suite, said he was ‘disappointed’ by the change.
He now faces a one-hour round trip to the nearest blood clinic in Maryport or can attempt to get an appointment with his GP for essential blood work as part of his treatment, which he usually receives at The Henderson Suite.
Mr Richardson said: “I’m disappointed that an organisation like the NHS managed to end up in a situation like this. I do have my concerns.
“Ten years of running SOS [Save Our Services] before we got the new hospital, showed me on too many occasions, the local hospital trust would say all services are safe and any cutbacks are temporary.
“Temporary had a habit of turning into permanent. I am concerned and I think the public are right to be watching everything they do at the moment. I hope they do get it rectified.”
Former cancer patient Betty Sewell from Maryport, who has previously been treated at The Henderson Suite, said: “The staff were absolutely brilliant with me – nothing was any bother to them. They made me feel comfortable, supporting me all day while having chemo.
“I will never be able to thank each and every one of them for all my care and support during those dark weeks. I feel The Henderson Suite should not close for a day. It isn’t until you have chemotherapy and come out of those doors feeling sick dizzy and unwell and have a journey in front of you.”
A spokesperson for the We Need West Cumberland Hospital campaign group said: “Yet again, West Cumbria is being let down by the people who are responsible for providing the quality of health care we need and deserve in our area.
“It is completely unacceptable that they have not had the foresight to ensure that we have sufficient trained staff to treat cancer patients at our hospital.
“Furthermore if, as we are told, the plan goes ahead for essential blood tests for these patients to be removed from the auspices of the Henderson Suite in Whitehaven to hubs in Workington and Maryport given the widespread population in West Cumbria, inadequate transport links and challenging road infrastructure, at a time when patients are ill and coping with the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy we strongly feel that they should not be expected to travel further than necessary and that a hospital the size of West Cumberland Hospital should be providing this vital service.”
Josh MacAlister with Trust Chair Steven Morgan on a recent visit to West Cumberland Hospital(Image: Submitted)
Josh MacAlister, the MP for Whitehaven and Workington, said: “I was alarmed to hear about the reduction in days of operation at the Henderson Suite and wrote immediately to the trust to make clear my concerns.
“I am encouraged by the reassurance that this has not led to a drop in the number of patients seen and that Newcastle, who run the unit, are recruiting the staff needed to bring it back up to a five day a week service.
“After the disgraceful way Yewdale ward was closed I will not let West Cumbria lose another service in that way and will fight with every breath to retain the vital services we need here in West Cumbria.”
A spokesperson for Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Henderson Suite is part of the specialist cancer service in north and west Cumbria which is managed by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, and provides specialist chemotherapy including intravenous, oral and subcutaneous treatments.
“The service has recently experienced some unexpected staffing pressures, including some staff sickness. We are actively moving staff from our other sites in Newcastle and Carlisle to support the service, however these treatments require a high level of very specific staff training, so there are only a limited number of nurses available.
“We want to make sure that we still provide the same number of treatments and the same quality of care in Whitehaven, and so we are planning to temporarily consolidate the service from five to four days per week from November 7.
“Patients may also choose to have their treatment at the Cumberland Infirmary or the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle, if they prefer. Support will also be available to patients by phone in the same way as it is now.
“Recruitment and training of new specialist staff is underway, and the Trust expects to resume a five-day service once staffing is stabilised.”