RCPCH responds to Professor Sir Mike Richards' review of children’s cancer services in England

The review was commissioned by the Chief Executive of NHS England to assist its Board in the evaluation of responses to a consultation undertaken in summer 2019 relating to a new draft service specification for children’s cancers.

Professor Russell Viner, President of the RCPCH, said:

We very much welcome the outcome of the review by Sir Mike Richards, on which the College was consulted.

One of our key recommendations is that paediatric intensive care services should be available on the same site if the service plans to give high intensity treatment to a child. Children must not need a transport team or ambulance transfer to access intensive care in these circumstances.

We also recommended that there should be a greater emphasis on seeking and responding to feedback from children and young people and their families in these specifications. 

We trust the commissioners will take this into account when choosing which of the three options will be adopted in order to deliver the very best care to these vulnerable patients.