Agenda item

(The Chair agreed to include this item on the agenda as an urgent item).

The Committee considered a report about planned changes to specialist bladder cancer surgery in Berkshire over the next few weeks, which was introduced by Dr Bernadette Lavery and colleagues from the Thames Valley Strategic Clinical Network.  It was proposed that from April 2014, patients from East Berkshire seeking specialist surgery to treat bladder cancer at Wexham Park Hospital will be offered this procedure at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading.  This related to Cystectomy operations, a procedure to remove all or part of the bladder as a result of the spread of cancer, which was very major surgery required for a relatively small number of people.

The change was proposed as part of the move to treat patients with the same condition in ‘high volume centres’ (where there was strong evidence that better outcomes for patients were achieved), to comply with national guidance (whereas the service at Wexham Park did not) and to restore the service to the Royal Berkshire Hospital where it had been successfully provided for all Berkshire patients between 2007 and 2012.  The Royal Berkshire Hospital was a specialist centre which had a range of facilities to care for patients with cancer, including Radiotherapy.  However, for the majority of East Berkshire patients, a specialist urology consultant surgeon from Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals would work alongside consultant surgeons performing cystectomy surgery at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The Committee was also informed of the commencement of a project to determine the best longer term configuration of specialist urological cancer surgery across the Thames Valley.  The project covered the provision of specialist prostate cancer and kidney cancer surgery and the Cancer Strategic Clinical Network would be working on it in conjunction with Thames Valley hospitals, patient representatives, specialist commissioners and local Clinical Commissioning Groups.  The project was due to run over 12 – 18 months, and Health and Wellbeing Boards and Overview and Scrutiny Committees would be consulted throughout. 

The Committee asked a number of questions and received clarification on matters of detail.

Resolved –

(a)  That the report be noted.

(b)  That the Cancer Strategic Clinical Network be requested to:

·  Also report to the Buckinghamshire Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee regarding South Bucks residents affected.

·  Keep the Panel informed of progress on the specialist service to be provided at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

·  Report to the Panel on the results of the longer term review of specialist cancer surgery in due course.