29 September 2020
Plans to develop a combined Oncology and Haematology Day Unit at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby have been given the green light.
Over £1 million is to be invested into the scheme which will increase Haematology and Oncology Services in Rugby, and bring chemotherapy services for the first time to the Barby Road site.
The construction phase is starting from Monday 28th September and should be completed by early 2021.
This self-contained department in the old Mulberry Ward will provide a modern, state of the art facility for Haematology and Oncology patients to receive day case treatments and outpatient consultations close to home.
More complex Haematology and Oncology services will continue to be delivered on site at University Hospital in Coventry.
Alistair McIntosh, former Director of Clinical Physics and Biomedical engineering at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust and Chairman for Coventry Hospitals Charity, said: “This expanded facility for patients will house five consulting rooms and nine treatment chairs as well as a treatment room for minor procedures.
“This new facility will enable us to provide treatment locally for patients receiving chemotherapy at the Hospital of St Cross and we acknowledge the generous support of The Friends of St Cross who have committed to supporting the soft furnishings and equipment for this new facility.”
Professor Kiran Patel, Interim Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer for UHCW, commented: “We are committed to providing high quality cancer services and meeting the future needs of our patients. This new service in Rugby will help us meet the rising demands for cancer services and provide timely delivery of care and maintain a world class service.
“I would like thank the Coventry Hospitals Charity and the Friends of St Cross for pooling their resources in order to make this long term vision a reality for Oncology and Haematology services."
This major investment is being made by Coventry Hospitals Charity, a charity founded by healthcare staff and local businesses in the 1980s, which has donated an £845,000 for the building work and redevelopment of the site.
£200,000 is also being donated from fund-raising by the Friends of St Cross, for specialist equipment and furniture within the suite including nine treatment chairs.
Willy Goldschmidt, Chairman of the Friends of St Cross, said: “We are delighted to support this project with the largest single donation that the Charity will have made.
“We believe that almost everyone in Rugby will know of someone who has had a diagnosis of cancer and will value this development”.
In addition to this sizeable charitable investment, UHCW NHS Trust has invested over £2 million in improvements to the Rugby site in 2019/20 and is investing a further £111,000 for a new roof, windows and project management resources for the new unit as part of their ongoing investment in the hospital.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
Shielding Patients in very high risk for COVID Group
All people who have been identified as very high risk (requiring shielding) for COVID are in the process of being contacted by their clinician regarding their ongoing care. If you require a blood test whilst shielding as part of your care, appointment details including when and where your blood test will be carried out will be sent to you via a text message from SwiftQueue who manage our blood test bookings.
If you have regular blood tests and have been asked to have these, please ensure you have blood forms at home available; if you haven’t please contact your specialty to have some sent to you in advance of your blood tests.
Older People and Vulnerable Adults
People who are in the groups identified by the government as higher risk e.g are over 70 or receive a yearly flu jab, but are not in the very high risk (requiring shielding) group, can attend our normal blood test clinics. The blood test clinics and waiting areas have been adapted so that social distancing can be maintained.
Please check the locations on the map below.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.