New mobile cancer unit to support patients across Craven, Wharfedale and Airedale

It will visit communities to provide accessible clinics as well as cancer treatments including chemotherapy

Author: Natalie HigginsPublished 19th Nov 2021
Last updated 19th Nov 2021

A new mobile cancer unit has launched to serve patients across Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.

The Next Generation unit, provided by the charity Hope for Tomorrow for Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, is a state-of-the-art fully mobile medical cancer care unit which revolutionises the way cancer care is delivered. It's the second vehicle to be added to the Trust's service. A new feature is the hydraulic sides - which move out to provide two clinic rooms, so providing a larger unit.

It will visit communities to provide accessible clinics as well as cancer treatments including chemotherapy. Staffed by specialist oncology nursing teams and pharmacists the unit will allow cancer services to be delivered in the heart of the local community in venues including Skipton, Keighley, Bingley and Barnoldswick.

Pat Dyminski, lead clinical nurse specialist for haematology, oncology and chemotherapy at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“The new mobile unit is going to go out into the community to deliver treatment closer to patients homes but it also expands at the sides so we have two clinical rooms.

"During covid we realised how much safer patients feel going to the mobile unit and not having to come into the hospital. The patients can fit the clinical appointments and treatment into their lives rather than having their appointments run their lives.

"They have a much more supportive network because they get to talk with the other patients because they're sat with them for long periods of time and the staff benefit as well. They really get to know the patients and they really enjoy working on the unit.

"We received our very first mobile unit three years ago today and it has had a huge impact on patients. For me, the most important thing when setting these up was that patients would feel as safe in the mobile units as they do in hospital.

"It was a vision to begin with, but it has been extremely successful and now three years on we are here using the units to their maximum potential. If you’ve got the clinic space, the needs of patients and staff availability then the sky is the limit with what we can expand this to.”

Pat Dyminski, lead clinical nurse specialist for haematology, oncology and chemotherapy at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
This unit is named ‘Christine’, in honour of the Hope for Tomorrow charity’s founder who died of cancer in 2018

Moving cancer care closer to patients has proven health and wellbeing benefits as the reduced travel and waiting times can lower stress and anxiety levels for patients. Staff also appreciate the different working environment, away from the hospital setting. The unit will be used for clinics that are already in place but will now have them in the community, so patients can incorporate their appointments into their lives rather than fit their life around hospital appointments.

The trust received its first unit from Hope for Tomorrow in 2018 and had the use of an additional unit during the pandemic so vulnerable patients didn’t always need to come into hospital and they have both been a great success.

Brendan Brown, Chief Executive at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are immensely proud to launch this new unit which takes cancer care and treatment into the very heart of our communities. We would like to thank Hope for Tomorrow for their fantastic support in making this a reality for our patients and staff. It has already had such an impact on our patients and this additional unit will progress our vision of care for the future.”

Tina Seymour, Chief Executive of the Hope for Tomorrow charity, said:

“Our partnership with Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has gone from strength to strength over the past three years and we are delighted that they are to be custodians of our next generation unit. This unit is a world-first. It has been designed to extend the possibilities for mobile cancer care and

remove some of the barriers that patients can face when accessing cancer care, whether they are cultural, socioeconomic or geographical. We can’t wait to see ‘Christine put to good use by the Trust.”

This unit is named ‘Christine’, in honour of the Hope for Tomorrow charity’s founder who died of cancer in 2018.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.