On the 5th November 2020 Professor Neil Burnet and his 6 colleagues wrote to the Wales Cancer Research Centre with their concerns about the new Velindre Cancer Centre (VCC) stand-alone model of care.
Here is a summary of their main concerns:
1 The care of patients with cancer will be affected
As Professor Burnet writes in his letter the care of patients with cancer requires the availability of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), surgical theatres and the substantial medical and surgical support services to run them. These will not be available on the new VCC site. In this regard ‘Velindre is very much out of step with the prevailing thinking about patient care.’
2 VCC will not be able to take part in many new cancer treatments
Some new experimental and innovative cancer treatments will require patients to be able to have immediate access to ICU support should it be necessary, so these will only be undertaken at UHW leaving the new VCC ‘unable to take part in many innovative trials and treatments.’
3 Staff recruitment will be difficult
The decision to re-site Velindre separately ‘will also have implications for staff recruitment at both junior and senior level.’
We know that the Welsh Health Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, has seen Professor Neil Burnet’s letter. Here at Co-locate Velindre we think Eluned Morgan should have listened to the advice of these 7 professors, and called for an independent review of the siting and the model of care for the new VCC to fully explore their concerns.
If you are concerned about any of the issues raised in Professor Neil Burnet’s letter please do write to the Health Minister at
Correspondence.Eluned.Morgan@gov.wales
Or write to your local Member of the Senedd.
Here is Professor Neil Burnet’s letter in full –
