Join our fight to save children's cancer care at St George's Hospital

St George's Hospital in Tooting has 25 years of experience in caring for children with cancer from across south England. The children's cancer service is much-loved and highly valued by local families. 

Background

NHS England are choosing between two options for the new children's cancer Principal Treatment Centre: St George's, and the Evelina Hospital in central London. NHS England have said that the Evelina is their preferred choice. This would mean that the children's cancer service at St George's would close. 

Council Leader Simon Hogg has been campaigning for months to save children's cancer care at St George's. NHS England has now opened its formal consultation on the subject.  

Read Councillor Hogg's formal response to the consultation.

Now is the moment to make sure NHS England hears our concerns.   

How you can help

View how to support this cause.

Respond to the NHS consultation 

You can respond to the consultation on the new Principal Treatment Centre. Consultation will be closing on Monday 18 December 2023. 

Write to the Health Secretary  

Writing to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, will help to raise this vital issue within government.  

You can write a letter to:  

The Rt. Hon. Victoria Atkins MP
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU 

You can send an email to dhsc.publicenquiries@dhsc.gov.uk and address it to the Secretary of State.

You can send a message on social media to:

Templates

Some templates are below, but do add in any personal experience or opinions, to make your messages even more powerful. 

Short version for social media: 

"NHS England is proposing to close children's cancer care at St George's Hospital in south London. Please take action to save this vital service for local families."

Longer version:  

"I am writing regarding the urgent issue of the children's cancer Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) for South London, most of Surrey, Kent, Medway, East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. I understand that NHS England's current preferred option for the new PTC is the Evelina in central London, over St George's Hospital in Tooting.  

St George's Hospital has 25 years of experience in delivering paediatric cancer care. If this service is removed, this could have significant impacts on other services at the hospital for children across south England.  

Parents of children with cancer have said that they prefer to take them to hospital by car rather than public transport (especially if children are on immunosuppressants). This means that the proposed transfer of services away from south west London, to central London, is a concern.   

Parents have also expressed that they haven't been listened to in the process so far. I hope you will take action to ensure that these concerns are addressed, and to save children’s cancer care at St George's."

Why this is a problem

How closing children's cancer care at St George's Hospital would affect families:

Impact on other hospital services 

Children's cancer care is not a stand-alone service. Removing children's cancer care from St George's could have a significant impact on other specialist services at the hospital for children across south England, particularly surgery and pathology.  

Transport  

St George’s does not only support families from south London, but from across south England. In fact, more than 60% of children having inpatient care at the PTC are from outside London. Parents of children with cancer have said that they prefer to take them to hospital by car rather than public transport (especially if children are on immunosuppressants). This means that the potential transfer of services away from south west London, into central London, is a concern.  

Parents' views 

Local families have expressed their concern at the potential closure of children's cancer services at St George's. 

And worryingly, parents consulted with in the NHS process so far have said that their voices have not been sufficiently heard. 

Press releases

Press releases relating to St George's Hospital:

Up to Campaigns

Updated: 08/12/2023