Charity thanks community for fundraising support helping cancer patients
3 January 2023
The Royal Free Charity is set to fund London’s first one-stop NHS lung cancer diagnostic service, based at the Royal Free Hospital, thanks to the support of local residents and community groups.
Thanks to the success of its recent fundraising appeal, the charity will also fund the expansion of a digital mammography service to Barnet Hospital so that people with suspected breast cancer can have a quicker and more accurate diagnosis.
Jon Spiers, chief executive of the Royal Free Charity, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donated to this appeal. Thanks to your generosity, we’re going to fund projects that will speed up diagnoses for lung cancer and breast cancer – getting patients onto their treatment pathways sooner than would otherwise happen.
“In a year where we’ll be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS, this appeal is a superb example of the role of NHS charities in responding to local needs for local communities.”
The appeal will also see the introduction of virtual reality to improve the experience of patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy at Chase Farm and Finchley Memorial hospitals. Patients would have a variety of immersive experiences to choose from, from calming, meditative apps that invoke the sensation of walking in nature or deep-sea diving to playing action-based games.
London’s first one-stop NHS lung cancer diagnostic service
Patients with a fluid-filled lung cavity are currently referred for surgery for a biopsy to determine if their symptoms are due to cancer.
The introduction of a thoracoscopy service at the Royal Free Hospital means they’ll have a biopsy taken at the same time as having their symptoms treated, merging two steps on the cancer pathway into one. That could see patients starting cancer treatment up to four weeks earlier.
Removing the need for surgery performed under general anaesthetic will also mean those patients who need subsequent oncology care are fitter and stronger when their treatment starts.
Dr Anant Patel, consultant respiratory physician, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Medical thoracoscopy is the means by which we can have a direct look inside the chest cavity, the space that’s outside the lung but inside the rib cage.
“Instead of patients having all of their diagnostic tests completed within four weeks after they see a consultant for the first time, they could have all of their diagnostic tests done on the same day and come back one week later for the results, allowing a quicker referral onto surgeons or oncologists for their onward treatment.”
Donors and fundraisers contributed a total of ÂŁ415,000 to the appeal, with ÂŁ300,000 raised in just five days during November thanks to the efforts of appeal champions who shared details with their friends, families and colleagues using the Charity Extra fundraising platform.
The number of people with cancer in north central London is due to grow from 42,000 to 60,000 by 2030.
Photo: Dr. Anant Patel, consultant respiratory physician
Notes to editors
The Royal Free Charity is an NHS charity supporting the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Its vision is for everyone served by the Royal Free London to have access to world-leading healthcare, delivered by a thriving workforce and driven by medical research that has a global impact. The charity funds medical research, facilities and services at Barnet, Chase Farm and the Royal Free hospitals, all of which is made possible thanks to the generosity of supporters.
