Teenage cancer unit: 'You deserve a pat on back for your efforts'

Published on Thursday 8 May 2008 10:12

THE Teenage Cancer Trust is to be congratulated for having raised enough money to pay for the establishment of the first ever dedicated unit for the treatment of young people at the city's Sick Kids hospital. And you, our readers, can be proud of the fact that you have played such a vital part in helping the dream become a reality.

As a result of their efforts, which were supported by you through the Christmas Appeal run by the Evening News, 150,000 has been raised in five months – a marvellous achievement by any standards. Now for the first time teenagers from throughout the east of Scotland will have access to specialised cancer treatments in facilities specially converted for the purpose by the end of the year.

Not only will young cancer victims be afforded more privacy and greater comfort but they will be treated alongside their peers, with facilities allowing their parents some overnight stays at crucial periods of treatment. All are factors which have been clinically proven to substantially improve survival rates.

Buoyed by their success TCT today announced ambitious plans for the creation of three further units in Scotland. Should they succeed in raising a further 6 million one of them would be sited at the city's Western General, offering treatments for 16-24 year olds.

But all of this current and future investment would not have been possible had the city lost vital services earlier this year in a proposed centralisation of child cancer services.

And Evening News readers are also to be congratulated for backing our Hands off the Sick Kids campaign, which was instrumental in persuading the SNP government to retain such treatments in the Capital. Over 23,000 of you signed our petition and had such pressure not been exerted to give such a guarantee, children requiring vital treatments, and their parents, could have faced lengthy and upsetting journeys to either Glasgow or Aberdeen.

Today's announcement is a massive step forward from the climate of uncertainty that surrounded the future provision of cancer treatments in the city last year. Hopefully now with their future assured for the immediate future and a new purpose-built Sick Kids hospital on the way, things will only continue to get better.

Despite reaching today's milestone the TCT is clearly not resting on its laurels and intends to continue to play a vital role in the development of services. But for the moment they – and you – deserve a pat on the back for what has been achieved so far.