Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Cancer support charity Hope for Tomorrow has teamed up with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to launch a new mobile chemotherapy unit, which will benefit cancer patients in north and mid-Hampshire.

The £250,000 unit, which is owned and maintained by the charity and will be operated by the Foundation Trust, is to be launched on Wednesday 1 August 2012 at Andover War Memorial Hospital. The unit will visit sites in Andover, Alton and Eastleigh and can give up to 3,000 treatments per year, reducing the distance many patients have to travel for treatment and helping alleviate costs and stress, which is crucial at a time when they are likely to be feeling ill and vulnerable.

Mrs C Allen, a cancer patient at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, said: "It will be marvellous to have chemotherapy locally instead of having to travel; it will make a huge difference. It also provides the opportunity to meet other patients from the local community.”

Patients under the care of Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital or Royal Hampshire County Hospital, who meet a number of strict criteria, will be offered chemotherapy treatment on the mobile unit, which will be staffed by highly trained specialist nurses from the two hospitals and will have dedicated parking on each site. 

Christine Mills, who founded charity Hope for Tomorrow with the aim of bringing cancer treatment closer to patients’ homes, and in 2007 built the world’s first Mobile Chemotherapy Unit, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that we are about to launch our fourth mobile chemotherapy unit and hope that as a result, cancer patients throughout Hampshire will feel the benefits from receiving their treatment closer to home, which is after all the ultimate goal of Hope for Tomorrow and our mobile chemotherapy unit project.”

Another Hampshire Hospitals cancer patient Mrs M Roberts added: "Having the mobile unit will reduce the amount of travelling I have to do and I won't have to rely on volunteer drivers. I look forward to using the unit."

Hampshire Hospitals Clinical Director for Cancer Services, Dr Lara Alloway said: “We are very grateful to Hope for Tomorrow for providing the Hampshire Hospitals mobile chemotherapy unit. This is a purpose-designed vehicle, staffed by our chemotherapy nurses who will travel daily to towns across north and mid-Hampshire. This will allow people to receive their chemotherapy closer to home. We hope this will reduce the burden of the cancer treatment on patients and their families, by reducing the travelling time needed to reach either of our existing chemotherapy units.”

Lord March, owner of Goodwood Estate and organiser of Goodwood Revival, which is an annual event held in tribute to British motorsport, was offered the chance to name the unit as a thank you for his outstanding fundraising support in aid of Hope for Tomorrow. Lord March has chosen to name the unit ‘Amy’ in honour of his great, great grandmother.

The mobile unit will be launched by Hope for Tomorrow patron and five times winner of Le Mans 24 hour race, Derek Bell MBE. 

Notes for editors

 1.       Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) came into being on 9 January 2012 as a result of the integration of Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust (BNHFT) and Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust. BNHFT was authorised as a Foundation Trust in December 2006. 

2.       Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a population of approximately 600,000 patients in Hampshire and parts of west Berkshire.

3.       HHFT has about 5,000 staff and a turnover of £300 million a year.

4.       HHFT delivers one hospital service across multiple locations including its own hospitals, Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. It also provides outpatient and assessment services from Bordon and Alton community hospitals.

5.       As a Foundation Trust, HHFT is accountable to the local community through a system of local ownership with members and elected governors. HHFT has to date 18,600 staff and public members. Foundation Trusts are free from central government control and can reinvest any surplus to develop clinical services. They are authorised and regulated by Monitor, an independent regulator.

6. Media are invited to attend the launch of the mobile chemotherapy unit. Please arrive at the Countess of Brecknock Hospice (on the Andover War Memorial Hospital site) at 1:30pm on August 1. There is a 30 minute opportunity for media to look around the unit and speak to key spokespeople before the official launch begins at 2pm.

Please confirm your attendance by emailing communications@hhft.nhs.uk

Media contact
Contact the communications team on (01256) 313062
E-mail: communications@hhft.nhs.uk

Hannah Linfoot
Tel: 01666 505055
Email: hannahlinfoot@hopefortomorrow.org.uk