St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was delighted to announce the opening of a new cancer ward last week at its St George’s Hospital site.

Gordon-Smith Ward was officially opened by Dr Anne Rainsberry, NHS England’s Regional Director for London, and is the second step of investment in the trust’s cancer services.

The ward will provide an additional 20 beds to treat a diverse number of patient groups, including those with leukaemia, lymphoma and non-malignant conditions of the blood such as bleeding disorders, thrombosis and sickle cell anaemia, in a clean, modern inpatient environment.  

Miles Scott, chief executive of the trust: “This investment in cancer services supports the trust’s strategy to improve the experience of cancer patients through their pathway. Gordon-Smith ward will mean patients can be managed in an environment specifically equipped to treat their conditions allowing our clinicians and nurses to deliver the best possible care in a timely manner.”

The ward is named after Ted Gordon-Smith, a retired professor of haematology at St George’s Hospital Medical School who first joined St George’s in 1987. He was instrumental in expanding the clinical haematology service at St George’s from 2 beds to a dedicated 13-bedded transplant and haematology ward during his twenty-five year career at the trust.

Professor Gordon-Smith said: “It is of course a great honour but the most important thing is that we now have a specialist unit where haematologists and oncologists can work together to treat their patients, especially those with sickle cell anaemia which affects so many in our local population.

Dr Anne Rainsberry said: “It is a great honour to open this new ward which will really improve the experience of cancer patients at St George’s. Across London, we are committed to ensuring that people with cancer receive world-class care which is centred on their needs at every stage - from prevention and diagnosis, through to treatment and beyond.”