CHEMOTHERAPY treatment looks set to be located solely at Lister Hospital because of poor facilities elsewhere. It is currently mainly provided to patients at a purpose-built facility at the Lister. This service is moved down to the Sherrards Suite at th

CHEMOTHERAPY treatment looks set to be located solely at Lister Hospital because of poor facilities elsewhere.

It is currently mainly provided to patients at a purpose-built facility at the Lister.

This service is moved down to the Sherrards Suite at the QEII Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, once a week, where the Lister-based nursing team sees six to 12 patients.

But new plans will see those QEII patients travelling to the Lister in future due to long-standing health and safety issues surrounding the Sherrards Suite.

East and North Hertford-shire NHS Trust believe the service should in future be provided entirely at the Lister where the facilities have been designed around the needs of this particular group of patients.

The change will take place on a temporary basis from February 1, pending consultation.

The Trust's director of nursing Noel Scanlon said: "For some time now there

has been growing disquiet about the Sherrards Suite suitability as a facility in which to provide chemotherapy.

"It is very cramped and patients with mobility problems have real access difficulties. While some patients will have to travel further, we believe that their treatment experience should improve markedly as a result of having their care in a more modern, dedicated facility.