17 June 2014
Duchess of York opens teenage cancer unit at the BHOC
The first specialist Teenage Cancer Trust unit in the South West
was opened today at the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre by
Sarah, Duchess of York and world snooker players Judd Trump and
Jack Lisowski.
The unit will serve young people from Bristol, Somerset,
Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and Cornwall, providing them with
a facility where they will be treated alongside others their own
age, by experts in teenage and young adult cancer care, which it is
hoped will make a huge difference to their experience.
Thanks to fundraising support from local communities, a
volunteer committee chaired by Lady Wills, trust funding from The
Garfield Weston Foundation and the John James Bristol Foundation
and help from corporate partners, Teenage Cancer Trust raised
£2.5million to open the eight bed unit. Named Area 61 by the
patients, the state-of-the-art unit offers 16 to 24 year olds a
place to receive treatment where they can feel at home.
Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust, Sarah, Duchess of York, said:
"Teenage Cancer Trust is the most incredible charity, helping young
people stay teenagers first, cancer patients second. I've been a
patron for over 20 years and I've seen it grow and lead the way in
the treatment of teenage and young adult cancer. This new unit will
help so many local young people and their families and
friends."
The unit also gives young people the best possible care, support
and access to treatment via a team of specialist doctors, nurses
and youth support staff, who are all experts in teenage and young
adult cancer care. Teenage Cancer Trust funds the lead nurse and
youth support coordinator roles in this team. The youth support
coordinator helps young people share their experiences and fears
with each other, encourages them to socialise by arranging
activities and outings and enables them to participate in a peer
support group.
Area 61 has two floors, with one floor dedicated to in-patients
with five en-suite bedrooms with sofa beds for family and friends
to stay overnight. It also has a large social area where young
people can play pool, listen to music, play games consoles or watch
films on the latest smart TVs. There's also a kitchen and dining
space where meals can be cooked at all times of day and night, as
well as a lounge for family members to take a break. The other
floor is for day patients, featuring three treatment pods, two
consulting rooms, a procedure room, a social space that includes
entertainment and gaming consoles and a waiting area with cafe.
A group of young people with cancer were involved in the overall
design of the unit and worked with local street artist Dave Bain to
develop the wall art. James Lusher, the architect also consulted
young people on the furniture designs and colours.
Teenage Cancer Trust ambassadors Jack Lisowski from Cheltenham
and Judd Trump, from Bristol, also helped officially open the unit
and have been supporting the local fundraising appeal. It's a cause
close to their hearts, as at 16 Jack was diagnosed with Hodgkin's
lymphoma. Jack said: "It's a fantastic moment to be here today and
the unit is so much better than we could have ever imagined.
Teenage Cancer Trust is an amazing organisation and I only wish I
had benefitted from being treated here."
Siobhan Dunn, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust said:
"This is an incredibly exciting moment in Teenage Cancer Trust's
history as it's our first specialist unit in the South West. It's a
remarkable facility and we are very much hoping that local
communities and businesses will continue supporting our work here
as we need to raise a £1,000 a day to maintain the unit, fund
specialist staff and continue our free cancer awareness sessions in
schools across the region."
Jamie Cargill, Teenage Cancer Trust Lead Nurse at University
Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) comments about
today's milestone: "It is taken a significant team effort to get to
this point and credit must be given to all those who have been
involved. Even after just a few months we can already see how the
new facilities are benefiting our patients and their families. By
helping us build this amazing unit, our local and regional
supporters have done something very special for young people with
cancer and I hope they feel as proud of the unit as we all do."
Dr Alison Cameron, Macmillan Teenage and Young Adults Lead
Clinician at UH Bristol, said: "Over the past five years UH Bristol
has built a team to care for and support teenage and young adult
patients with cancer across the South West. The opening of this
unit enables that team to maximise the support they give to
patients and their families, whilst providing patients with as
"normal", least hospitalised, physical space as possible. This
helps to reduce the impact of the cancer on the patient."
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