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Child Cancer Care
04/03/2008
Children's cancer services will be retained and enhanced in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee where they are currently provided, it was announced today.
And an additional £32 million will be invested to implement the National Delivery Plan, improving access to specialist services for children and young people and ensuring care is better, quicker, safer and closer to home.
Today's announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon in response to the report of the National Steering Group for Specialist Children's Services.
The group led the most comprehensive review of these services ever undertaken in Scotland and drew up the National Delivery Plan for Children and Young People's Specialist Services in Scotland.
Visiting the Royal Hospital for Sick Kids in Edinburgh today, Ms Sturgeon launched the formal consultation of the National Delivery Plan and endorsed the recent establishment of a Managed Clinical Network for children and young people's cancer services in Scotland, with an agreed level of care at each of the four hospital sites.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"Today marks the start of a period of stability. I realise there has been a great deal of uncertainty over children's cancer services in Scotland and I can now remove any doubts and allay the concerns of staff, patients and families.
"There is no recommendation to remove children's cancer services from any of the sites where it is provided and I can confirm today that none of the four units will be downgraded in any way. I am delighted to announce that the service will be delivered as a network across the four sites in Scotland.
"The innovative model will promote a uniformity of care that does not exist at present and ensure that care is provided as close to home as achievable
"I very much support recommendations that a number of networks be established across the range of specialist children's services, including cystic fibrosis, rheumatology, general surgery and inherited metabolic disease, to deliver the best possible care.
"Indeed, the Scottish Government's commitment to making specialist services better is demonstrated in the additional £32 million to implement the recommendations in the National Delivery Plan.
"I take the opportunity to encourage everyone to participate in the consultation being launched today, either in writing or by coming to one of the open seminars which will be taking place around the country during the next three months."
Malcolm Wright, Chairman of the National Steering Group, said:
"The group has highlighted significant opportunities to improve specialist services, and access to those services for children and young people in Scotland.
"We have a strong infrastructure on which to build with the new children's hospital facilities in Aberdeen and Dundee, and a commitment to build new children's hospitals in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, supported by jointly commissioned Paediatric Intensive Care Units in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
"We outline our proposals for national and regional networks of service across Scotland, supported by new investment of £2 million in 2008-09 rising to £10 million in 2009-10 and £20 million in 2010-11.
"These investments, which will directly targeted at the priorities identified in the report will help to ensure that Scotland delivers European class outcomes with access as close to home as possible for Scotland's families and children."
Morgan Jamieson, the national clinical lead for children and young people's health in Scotland, said:
"The National Delivery Plan represents a major step in ensuring that Scotland provides high quality specialist services that deliver the best outcomes for children and young people.
"We are committed to planning our services with a whole-Scotland perspective and structure them to support the patient being cared for as near to home as safely as possible."
Gwen Garen, Co-Chair of Action for Sick Children, said: "Action for Sick Children has been pleased to be involved from the beginning in the whole process of the development of the National Delivery Plan.
"We welcome this comprehensive piece of work and the ongoing opportunity it gives for wider public engagement."