FAQs

• There is limited support infrastructure on the existing site which limits the team’s ability to deliver complex oncology care. 
• Some newer treatments and research trials have high levels of toxicity. Without services such as high dependency or intensive care, patients will not have access to the latest treatments. Immunotherapies and other cancer treatments are becoming increasingly complex and there are already treatments that can’t take place at MVCC – this gap will increase in future. 
• As people live longer, more people with cancer are also living with other illnesses or conditions which require treatment alongside their cancer treatment. This cannot be done at MVCC.
• Staff have done a good job, despite the conditions, in providing high quality treatment and ensuring patient safety. Patient feedback regularly shows that most patients are happy with the services they receive. However, a more permanent solution needs to be found to ensure the sustainability of the services in the long term.
• Staff want to be able to treat more complex patients to develop their skills and become experts in their field and there is a risk that Mount Vernon will not be able to recruit and retain staff if a long term solution is not agreed.
• We want to organise services in ways that provide the best modern care for patients, including access to research trials and new technology and treatments, from good quality facilities.

Yes – as long as we can get together the capital money we will need.

It is more cost effective to build a new hospital than bring the current buildings up to the right standard. And improving the current buildings will not deal with the clinical issues on the site.

Mount Vernon needs access to intensive care beds, but not too many. To build such a small intensive care unit would not be safe. It would be extremely difficult to staff and it would be very expensive to run which would divert resources from elsewhere.