Children and teenagers receiving cancer treatment at Leeds Children’s Hospital are set to become some of the youngest patients in the UK to benefit from chemotherapy at home, thanks to an innovative new service. Known as ambulatory chemotherapy, this approach allows patients who meet the criteria to leave the hospital while their treatment continues at home. Using a portable pump carried in a backpack, chemotherapy is administered continuously, giving children the comfort and familiarity of their own home while still receiving vital treatment. Ambulatory chemotherapy is already widely used for adults, and in some centres for teenagers. The team at Leeds Children’s Hospital recently launched the service for patients across the Yorkshire region, with plans to extend it to some of the youngest patients in the UK in the coming months. Receiving treatment at home offers numerous benefits for children and families: Patients can rest in a familiar environment, eat their favourite foods, and spend time with friends and family. Being at home can help children feel more comfortable, relaxed, and distracted from their treatment. Parents and carers experience less disruption to their daily lives and can provide care in a familiar setting. Daily hospital visits replace long inpatient stays, reducing the stress and disruption of prolonged hospital admissions. The project has been made possible thanks to a funding award from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance Innovation Fund. The funding bid was led by the Deputy Director of the Candlelighters Supportive Care Research Centre, Dr Jess Morgan – Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Leeds Children’s Hospital – who dedicated her research time to successfully secure the grant. The launch of ambulatory chemotherapy marks a significant step forward for children and young people with cancer in Yorkshire, combining innovation, research, and patient-centred care to make treatment safer, more comfortable, and less disruptive for families.
