The independent health think tank, the Nuffield Trust, has been appointed to advise on the clinical model underpinning proposed improvements to Velindre’s cancer services.
These services include those at the proposed new Velindre Cancer Centre, the radiotherapy satellite centre at Abergavenny and services provided by Velindre at other hospitals.
The advice will address concerns raised about proposals to build the new Velindre Cancer Centre in north Cardiff.
The highly respected Nuffield Trust will assess proposals for the way cancer services are delivered across south east Wales together with concerns.
The work, to be completed by the end of October this year, will be carried out by a team of experts. They will examine the plans drawn up by Velindre’s Transforming Cancer Services Programme, look at the latest literature and evidence of other systems and interview clinical leaders and patients.
Steve Ham, Chief Executive of Velindre University NHS Trust, said, “As part of our ongoing process of seeking external advice, I am pleased to have commissioned the Nuffield Trust. They will support the work we are doing to refine and redevelop our clinical model. I know they will apply robust and independent thinking to test our proposals and the concerns which have been raised.
“Their work will be published for us all to see and, by doing it quickly, I hope we will be able to win people’s confidence and achieve a consensus for moving forward.”
Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust, said, “We are looking forward to working with the Trust on this important question and building on our previous research about how to get the best out of networked models for patients.”
The Nuffield Trust is an independent think tank. It aims to improve the quality of health care in the UK by providing evidence-based research and policy analysis and informing and generating debate.