4,000 sign petition to return chemo unit to Redditch

On Monday, May 17, Redditch MP Rachel Maclean launched a petition calling for Redditch residents to show their support for the chemotherapy service to be brought back to the town.

During the pandemic the chemotherapy unit was ‘temporarily’ relocated to Kidderminster Hospital.

However, back in March, bosses from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust publicly said that, in the summer, they could make the relocation permanent.

Mrs Maclean has now written to the Chief Executive of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, Simon Trickett.

In the letter, she expresses concern about the distance her constituents will have to travel for their treatment.

The town’s MP also raised the issue of NHS England’s ‘Standard Contract for Cancer: Chemotherapy’ which makes clear chemotherapy patients should receive the right treatment as “close to home as practicable.”

The new Garden Suite Chemotherapy Unit in Kidderminster

She says that she doesn’t believe her constituents having to travel to Kidderminster for chemotherapy meets the specification’s “close to home as practicable” principle.

Mrs Maclean said: “I’m leaving no stone unturned in this fight to ensure the Garden Suite is returned to the Alex.

“By writing to Mr Trickett, who commissions chemotherapy services in our county, I wanted to make my opposition clear to any move by the Acute Trust to make the temporary relocation of the Garden Suite a permanent one.

The MP has thanked the thousands of people who have already signed her petition. People can read the petition via www.change.org/bringbackthegardensuite

“Since launching the petition I have been overwhelmed by the emails from constituents who have used or are using the Garden Suite,” Mrs Maclean added.

“All of them are opposed to the Garden Suite remaining permanently in Kidderminster. Their messages have only sought to strengthen my determination to fight local health bosses all the way on this issue.

“No one can claim that there isn’t massive support in Redditch to return this service back to our town’s hospital.”

Previously, Paul Brennan, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said the decision to move the unit to Kidderminster was made to "protect patient safety" during the pandemic.

He said: “As we move into the next phase of our pandemic response we are reviewing all of our temporary service changes including the Garden Suite relocation.

"Initial feedback since the move has been overwhelmingly positive from both staff and patients, but we will continue to actively seek the views of colleagues and service users before any final decisions are made.”