Patients are being offered more convenient cancer treatment
during the coronavirus pandemic, including chemotherapy buses and
the fastrack rollout of an innovative and life-saving type of
radiotherapy.
NHS England has today announced it is
accelerating the use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR)
which requires fewer doses than standard radiotherapy, cutting
the number of hospital visits that potentially vulnerable cancer
patients need to make. Rather than full rollout by 2022, it will
now be available across the NHS by the end of this financial
year.
It is a very precise method using a high dose of radiations with
only around five outpatient visits, compared to conventional
radiotherapy, requiring 20 – 30 treatments.
By April every part of the country will be offering SABR
treatment for non-small cell lung cancer and those with lung,
lymph nodes and non-spine bone oligometastatic disease, in
radiotherapy units nationwide. Further rollout for other
disease types is planned for 2021/22.
Local hospitals have also increased treatment outside of hospital
including fast-tracking the use of ‘chemo buses’ so people can
receive life-saving care without having to travel long
distances.
Although some cancer treatments which weaken the immune system
have had to be paused until a safer time, frontline staff have
pulled out all the stops to ensure people can get cancer care,
with almost 30,000 people starting treatment during March.
Four cancer buses, based in North Middlesex University Hospital
in London and Airedale NHS Trust in Yorkshire, have allowed
around 60 sessions a day to go ahead.
The buses have space for clinical teams to give chemo to four
patients at a time, either directly outside of the hospital or in
a convenient location for patients.
Hospitals have also significantly increased the use of chemo at
home, with local pharmacy teams and community nurses providing
the service to reduce cancer patients’ risk of exposure to the
virus.
At the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool, the number of
people receiving care at home has increased by 15% during the
outbreak, with 300 patients in the area having oral chemotherapy
delivered to their door by local volunteers.
The NHS has this week set out steps to treat more patients
safely, including carrying out multiple same day tests to
minimise patient visits and expand cancer hubs so that surgeries
can be restored to pre pandemic levels.
This action joins a series of measures, including the rollout of
‘covid protected’ cancer hubs for treatment and online
consultations so people do not have to go to hospitals for
regular checks.
Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive said: “While
the NHS has pulled out all the stops to care for nearly
100,000 older and vulnerable patients who have needed emergency
hospital treatment for Covid-19, staff have also worked hard to
sustain other services including A&E, maternity care and
treatment for urgent and emergency conditions.
"While it's perhaps unsurprising that as covid19 peaked in
April there was a large drop in the number of people coming
forward for check ups, now is the time to do so where people have
a concern.
"Hospitals are going to great lengths to deliver care and
treatment for patients in a safe space, from online consultations
to chemo buses and covid free surgical hubs. The NHS is also
accelerating access to new treatment options, including SABR
– a potentially life-saving form of precision
radiotherapy for people with cancer."
Dr Nicholas van As, Chair of the UK SABR
Consortium, said: “The UK SABR Consortium is
delighted to work with the NHS, enabling every radiotherapy
service to deliver this innovative radiotherapy treatment. Our
focus is on making sure patients have access to high quality
treatment that meets their needs.”
