In March 2020, the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust CLOSED the Psycho - Oncology Service to new referrals, without any PUBLIC CONSULTATION. The service has been running for over 20 years. It is a GOLD STANDARD service lead by a world class Psychiatrist and dedicated team.

The Psycho-Oncology Service is a vital service that helps 200-300 cancer patients per year, offering them around 2000 appointments, group sessions and community visits per year. I myself greatly benefited from this service when I was  recovering from my Breast Cancer.

The NHS Leicestershire Partnership  Trust are moving the doctor and a nurse to another service and have already cut  the lead (band 7) nurse post. Patients can no longer access the service after being discharged from hospital following cancer.

The actions that the NHS Leicestershire Partnership Trust  have taken to axe the Psycho-Oncology Service is completely unacceptable. The service was subject to external review in 2013 and at the time the trust acknowledged its importance and agreeed not to make cuts. Now they propose cancer patients can manage with a GP based telephone counsellor. Such suggested alternatives have insufficient expertise, poor evidence base and long waiting times.

Without dedicated Psychological support from the Psycho-oncology Service  Leicestershire Cancer patients will be left facing serious, emotional trauma alone. Their families will also be deeply affected.

We demand the following:

1. The Psycho-oncology Service  Leicestershire must be reinstated for the benefit of Cancer Patients and their families

2. Deleted and moved clinical posts must be reinstated

3. There must be a public consultation on these changes