Cancer: Thames Valley
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that young people with cancer have equity of access to age-appropriate, specialist psychological support in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board area.
Answered by Karin Smyth
The Department is dedicated to ensuring all children and young people with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment.
NHS England has published service specifications that set out the service standards required of all providers of children and young people cancer services, including those in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (ICB) area. The requirements include ensuring that every patient has access to specialist care and reducing physical, emotional and psychological morbidity arising from treatment for childhood cancer. More information on the specifications is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
Children and young people’s cancer care is managed by principal treatment centres (PTCs) who ensure quality care. Within the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West ICB area, this would be Oxford Children’s Hospital as part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Each PTC has a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patient. The multi-disciplinary team ensures that each service user is assessed for psychological needs and can access any psychosocial support that is required.
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