Care Closer to Home

The Care Closer to Home Innovation & Service Development for Paediatric Oncology Services

Around 600 children up to the age 16 have cancer in the area the NWCCODN covers each year. Whilst many aspects of care are delivered as close to home as possible, many families have frequent long journeys to access care.

This Proof of Concept project aims to increase focus on the delivery of supportive care and chemotherapy closer to home, either in the home environment or via the Mobile Cancer care Unit at a location close to the patients home. These specialist services will be delivered whilst maintaining safety and ensuring equity of access to specialist services.

UK’s first mobile children’s cancer care unit launches in the North West

Gill Dummigan and the team at BBC North West got an exclusive look at the Mobile Cancer Care Unit!

You can read the full article here.

Rory’s Story

This project is proudly supported by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Charity and Manchester Foundation Trust Charity.

Our Alder Hey Care Closer to Home Nurses!

More information coming soon!

Our Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

Care Closer to Home Nurses!

Caroline

Caroline started her nursing career in 2011 on NICU, St Mary’s Hospital. Shealways knew her heart sat in paediatric oncology so when a job came up she moved to the Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit for a short while. Following this she relocated to the South and worked as a shared care oncology nurse at Royal Berkshire Hospital. In 2014 she moved back to Manchester and worked as a sister on the children’s inpatient oncology unit at RMCH, before moving to ward 84 Oncology outpatients where she worked as a Proton Beam Liaison Nurse as well as a day case sister. Most recently, she works part time as a Paediatric Macmillan nurse, and now part time as a care closer to home nurse. She is really excited about working with the ODN on this project as she has seen first hand the struggles and challenges families face with the frequent travel, long distances and juggling work/ childcare whilst having to travel to RMCH for various treatments, she feels this project will have such a positive impact and make such a difference to many children and their families

Grace

Grace qualified as a children’s nurse from Edge Hill University in December 2020 and has been working her way up the ranks at RMCH ever since, becoming a Ward Sister in paediatric haematology and oncology in April 2025.

Working on the frontline, Grace knows all too well the challenges children and families face during cancer treatment, from long hospital stays to endless trips back and forth. She’s passionate about making that journey a little easier and believes care should work around families, not the other way round!

Now, Grace is bringing her experience, compassion and plenty of enthusiasm to the project, helping make care more accessible and bringing treatment closer to home.

Our Care Closer to Home Drivers!

Eddie

Eddie brings over 10 years of experience of working with children in the education sector. Working with children has been the most rewarding part of Eddie’s career, and he is looking forward to continuing that journey within the NHS. Eddie enjoy playing video games and solving maths problems, and it already established himself as our Nintendo Switch guru!

Dave

Dave has joined us as our new Mobile Unit driver. He is looking forward to being part of the team and bringing care closer to home! Dave has lots of experience driving HGVs and had worked in the NHS for the last 10 years. He has loads of fab ideas for the Mobile Unit and feels his life experience has led him to this role working with families.

For more information click the smiley face or watch our webinar click here.

As part of Phase 1 (Planning) the team facilitated workshops with staff across the region. Click on the puzzle icon to see the outcomes.

Mobile Cancer Care Unit

We have worked with patients, families and staff to initially understand thoughts and feelings about a Mobile Cancer Care Unit.

It is very important that patients and families continue to shape this project. We have a Parent Representative who attends the project meetings and our Patient & Family Experience Working Group provides guidance. We are always looking for more Lived Experience Representatives to be involved. Read our Patient & Family letters, by clicking on the icons to find out more information on being involved!

Global Best Practice

As more complex cancer care isn’t routinely delivered at home or on a Mobile Unit in paediatrics, the team have been reaching out to colleagues doing similar work across the country and internationally. Big thank you to Neil Shaw at Leeds Children’s Hospital, Pat Dyminski at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Kylie Stark at Kids Cancer Care in Australia, Donna Drew at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Claire Lawson & Sian Jones at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Sally Wainhouse & Radhika Sandilya at Starship Blood and Cancer Centre in New Zealand, for sharing your insights and knowledge!

If you would like to get involved in the project, please get in touch via our email: info.nwccodn@mft.nhs.uk