PEOPLE with breast cancer are anxious after learning a vital specialist nurse role at a Worcester hospital is to be axed.

More than 1,500 people have signed a petition against the move.

The role of secondary breast cancer nurse specialist (SBCN) providing support to patients through their cancer diagnosis and treatment will no longer be in place from Monday, April 1 due to a cut in funding.

Up until now, the role was funded by St Richard’s Hospice.

Despite repeated requests  by the hospice for the NHS to fund it over the last four years, the role is set to end.

Debbie Westwood, care director at St Richard’s Hospice, said: “Since we began funding a temporary secondary breast cancer community nursing role in 2015, we’ve been calling for a permanent funding solution to be found. 

"We believe this role - and others like it already funded by the NHS - is vital for the support of people with metastatic breast cancer and should be supported and funded by the NHS as a fundamental part of oncology care."

Mrs Westwood said having been told there would be no funding from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to support a secondary breast cancer nurse into the future, and taking the difficult decision to not continue to do so from the end of March - conversations with the trust have unexpectedly restarted. 

"We hope there will be a positive update from the trust before the end of the month," she added.

Debbie Donnison, from Lower Broadheath near Worcester, who lives with metastatic breast cancer, said: “Since hearing the news, all my anxieties which I experienced when receiving my diagnosis a year ago, have re-emerged.

"If I had not had the support of this person, I am not sure where I would be now.

"She supported me emotionally, but also practically, sorting out the complex nature of starting treatment and signposting to services that could help, showing me that it was possible to live with a terminal diagnosis."

Mrs Donnison, aged 62, is among a group of patients who have started a petition over the matter and gained over 1,500 signatures.

Simon Adams, managing director at Healthwatch Worcestershire, said: "We weren't aware of this until St Richard's Hospice included us in the email.

"Patients contacted us to our draw attention to it. As I understand it, the service will not close on April 1 but be funded for another six months.

"This has thrown a spotlight on the service provision, they need to work out what they need in terms of new services in the south and north of the county. 

"There will be more services but we haven't been told what the new services will be, but we would like to have a more enhanced service with more resources."

Stephen Collman, managing director of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ” As the organisation which provides NHS cancer care to patients from across Worcestershire and further afield, we want to make sure that all our patients receive the best possible support at every stage of their diagnosis and treatment.

“We are pleased that funding discussions are underway and we hope to be able to share some positive progress very soon.”