The petition calls on King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to keep cancer care in Orpington.
Campaigners fear that under new NHS plans, some cancer patients could be sent to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell instead.
The petition, titled “Save the Chartwell Unit: Keep Inpatient Cancer Care at the PRUH,” has 19,703 verified signatures and continues to grow.
It was started by Natalie Reilly, a trustee of The Chartwell Cancer Trust, which is leading the campaign against the changes.
The charity’s founder, Michael Douglas, set it up in 2005 after being treated for leukaemia at PRUH.
Concerns over patient safety
Campaigners say the move would make it harder for patients to get urgent care and warn that transferring people across London could cause dangerous delays for those needing emergency treatment, such as during neutropenic sepsis, a life-threatening infection that can develop quickly in cancer patients.
The petition says: “For these patients, minutes and miles matter.
“Transfers risk delays at every step in coordination, transit and bed-waits on admission. In emergencies like neutropenic sepsis, treatment must be instant.”
It also warns that moving patients to general wards could make infection control harder and mean fewer nurses with specialist cancer experience.
Supporters say families would struggle too, with longer and more expensive journeys to visit loved ones, especially older relatives and those on low incomes.
What King’s College Hospital says
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said it is reviewing inpatient cancer care at PRUH and that no final decisions have been made.
Currently, cancer inpatients at PRUH are cared for on the 12-bed Chartwell ward, which also treats people with other conditions and is not solely for cancer patients.
Under the proposals, all haematology (blood cancer) inpatients would instead be treated at King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, described as a highly specialist centre for blood cancers.
The Trust says this would give patients faster access to specialist care and clinical trials. Cancer services for all other types of cancer, as well as outpatient cancer care, would remain at PRUH.
King’s says the Chartwell ward would still be used to support cancer patients, and that between now and December it is considering how it could best meet local needs in the future.
A spokesperson said: “We fully appreciate the current service provided on Chartwell ward is highly regarded by local people, and we are grateful to staff on the ward for the care they provide. We will actively engage with patients, staff and stakeholders as we continue to develop these proposals, and no final decisions have been made.”
Community campaign continues
The Chartwell Cancer Trust has raised more than £1 million for the ward over the past 20 years.
This is not the first time the ward has faced closure. In 2016, similar plans were dropped after strong local opposition.
Michael Douglas said: “We urge NHS decision-makers to listen to this message loud and clear. This service is indispensable and must be protected.”
