How patients benefit from mobile cancer treatment

A specially designed, charity-funded mobile cancer care unit offers great advantages for patients and staff alike.

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.

Citation: Dyminski P (2024) How patients benefit from mobile cancer treatment. Nursing Times [online]; 120; 1.

Author: Pat Dyminski is lead chemotherapy/haematology/acute oncology clinical nurse specialist, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.