A cancer patient from southeast London has expressed feelings of disappointment and betrayal regarding plans to relocate his treatment to a facility 40 minutes away.
Matthew Venner, a 42-year-old resident of Chislehurst living with stage four Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, currently receives regular care at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in Orpington. However, the NHS trust has proposed shifting cancer services to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell.
Venner voiced concerns that the extended travel time could jeopardize his health, and he worries that his two children would be unable to visit him because of the distance.
The King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees both facilities, stated that the proposal is designed to enhance patient care, emphasizing that no final decisions have yet been reached.
Recently, King’s College Hospital Trust revealed that it was contemplating consolidating all inpatient haematology cancer services at King’s College Hospital, effectively eliminating these services from Orpington. As a result, patients like Venner would no longer be able to receive necessary inpatient care at PRUH and would be required to go to King’s hospital in Denmark Hill, as reported by Local Democracy Reporting Services.
Venner commented, “I feel let down and disappointed. I’ve received outstanding treatment and support from my nurses and consultants. My clinical nurse specialist has been exceptional. But now, this decision will only worsen my situation.”
He expressed his frustration further: “They haven’t considered the discomfort that such a journey entails. They seem unaware of the potential costs associated with travel and whether the journey can ensure a safe environment for someone with my condition.”
During his time as an inpatient at PRUH, his children visited him daily after school while he was recuperating, but this routine would not be feasible if he received treatment at King’s, he noted. “The distance is just too significant. If they were told they couldn’t see their father until the weekend, that would be incredibly tough for them,” he said.
He added, “With the risk of infection, and if it comes down to end-of-life care—something that could escalate quickly with lymphoma—having to go to Denmark Hill for that care instead of PRUH is worrying.”
A spokesperson for King’s College commented, “These proposals are being crafted by our hospital clinicians with the intent of enhancing care for patients utilizing haematology inpatient services at PRUH. The plans also complement existing protocols where some haematology cancer patients from the Bromley area who need specialized treatment are already referred to King’s College Hospital for that care.”
A petition advocating for the continuation of specialized inpatient haematology cancer services at PRUH has garnered nearly 25,000 signatures.
