<< Austrian authorities find mad cow disease in Slovenian cattle | No show patients cost the health service millions each year >>
Read in | English | Español | Français | Deutsch | Português | Italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | Nederlands | Filipino | Русский | Svenska | Polski

Teen cancer patients need specially designed wards

Published on August 25, 2005 at 8:30 AM · No Comments

According to an National Health Advisory Body in the UK, most children and teenagers with cancer are treated on adult or paediatric wards.

They say that Cancer services for children and young people must be reformed.

In an attempt to engender a reform, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), has issued guidance to standardise cancer treatment for young people in England and Wales.

The guidelines say that cancer patients under 19 years must be treated in wards with services specially designed for them.

At present children and teenagers are often cared for in adult or paediatric wards, which according to campaigners hinders their recovery.

Currently there are eight specialist cancer units for children and young people, which contain facilities such as computer games, pool tables and internet access, and are staffed by specialist health workers who are linked to NHS hospitals.

The acknowledgement that teenagers and young adults have a right to specialist facilities, will finally bring the health service in line with other walks of life such as education and social care.

The NICE guidance is not demanding that more of such units be built, but calls instead for NHS trusts to provide services tailored towards the needs of adolescents.

The guidance, which was drawn up in conjunction with the National Collaborating Centre for Cancer, says this group of patients should also receive care from staff trained to treat children and young people.

Comments
The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News-Medical.Net.



  Country flag

biuquote
  • Comment
  • Preview
Loading