A new pharmacy aseptic unit has officially opened this week at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, allowing injectable chemotherapy drugs to be made on site.
The refurbished unit will be used to prepare patient-specific chemotherapy treatments, in a sterile environment, resulting in fewer cancellations for patients.
This will mean cancer patients visiting East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust’s Lister site and Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood will see an increase in tailored chemotherapy drug treatment in a more efficient manner, at a time when national aseptic capacity is limited.
An increase in the range of patient-specific products prepared at the unit will also allow the trust to offer patients the opportunity to participate in more clinical trials. This strengthens the trust’s ongoing contribution to research and development to help ensure patients continue to receive high-quality care.
Andrew Hood, Chief Pharmacist at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said: “It is vital that the trust provides the best possible care to our cancer patients – and this new unit will help us continue to do that.
“The type of chemotherapy a patient has can change throughout their treatment, so having this unit allows us to quickly react and respond to how we treat our cancer patients. This will mean fewer cancellations and rescheduling which is a huge reassurance for our patients and a priority for the trust.”
The trust aims to produce the first doses of chemotherapy by the middle of July 2020.
