Upgrades for Children’s Cancer Services at Croydon University Hospital

The Government confirmed recently that building is to begin on a £14.7m refurbishment to Croydon University Hospital’s (Mayday’s) Child Cancer Unit. The refurbishment will increase the size of the unit by 50%, creating 22 intensive care and high dependency beds to care for the most seriously ill. The 18-month major project will provide state-of-the-art facilities as well as more privacy and dignity for patients receiving life-saving care, with ensuite facilities, quiet rooms and waiting areas to support families in their local hospital at some of the most difficult times in their lives.

Croydon’s Conservative Councillors pooled together a donation of £30,000 to donate to the “Lily Pad Appeal”, which will help fund a new play area that will provide some much-needed moments of joy to young patients at the facility. With the funding for the main building work now approved by the Government, work will begin in the Autumn with the new facility opening in 2023. This will help children who are seriously unwell and comes on top of the brand new £23m A&E at CUH that opened almost three years ago.

I am also pleased that across the UK, 79% of adults have had both vaccine doses and 89% have had at least one dose – a truly incredible result involving tens of millions of people being vaccinated. Anyone over the age of 16 can now have their vaccination, and it is vital for the health of everyone that we all get vaccinated. If you happen not to have had your vaccination yet, please contact your GP or go to a walk-in centre at one of the following locations (click on the dots to open details of location and hours): https://swlondonccg.nhs.uk/covid/where-can-you-get-vaccinated/vaccination-walk-in-clinics/

Older people will become eligible for booster jabs this autumn – please watch out for details. The hugely successful UK vaccination programme is critical to beating Covid and getting life fully back to normal.