Teen cancer unit planned

Nov 5 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

Teen cancer unit planned

PLANS are under way to develop a dedicated Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Unit at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology.

The four-bed facility will accommodate patients aged 16-24 and will offer privacy and independence as well as offering additional space for overnight stays by a family member.

The unit will benefit from all the latest gaming and home entertainment equipment. The plans also include space for a common room so young patients can interact with each other and welcome friends to visit them in a much more relaxed and comfortable environment.Š

Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology will be working with Royal Liverpool Hospital and Alder Hey Hospital on the project and a national charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust, is supporting the unit by donating £100,000.

Work is scheduled to start in January and looks set to be completed by July.

Darren Hurrell, chief executive of Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, said: “This is a great development for the centre and our patients. The new unit will give young people with cancer a place where they can listen to music, watch videos, use computers or just relax.”