BREAST cancer patients in Worcester will continue to receive care from a vital nursing role after new funding has been found to keep it in place.

A secondary breast cancer nurse specialist role (SBCN) supporting stage four cancer patients through their diagnosis and treatment was set to be axed from Monday, April 1 due to a cut in funding.

The role had been funded by St Richard's Hospice from 2015, only for it to announce earlier this week that it was ceasing its funding.

This left cancer patients from Worcester concerned that nothing was being done to ensure the role would remain in place after April 1.

There was a glimmer of hope when the Trust revealed on Wednesday (March 20) that  funding discussions had been opened and it hoped to share "positive progress very soon". 

The Trust, along with St Richard's Hospice, has now announced funding has been secured to continue to fund the specialist nurse role for at least six months.

A joint statement from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and St Richard's Hospice read: "We are pleased to confirm that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has secured funding to continue to fund a secondary breast cancer community nursing role from 1 April, meaning there will be no loss of service.

“St Richard’s Hospice will be seconding a member of its nursing team to the role to provide continuity of care to patients.

“This funding remains in place for six months while the Trust develops a business case to deliver the role into the future.

“We recognise this has been a worrying time for the patients affected and we’ll be writing to them shortly to provide more information about their care going forward.”

Debbie Donnison, a cancer sufferer from Lower Broadheath near Worcester, said the news had provided "reassurance" for cancer patients but stressed lingering doubts over the future direction of the role remained.

"We are really pleased to hear the news that the nurse will be funded for six months as an interim arrangement," she said.

"This has provided much needed reassurance to the many patients who were affected by the previous announcement. 

"However, we recognise that this is only a temporary arrangement and that the threat of the role being discontinued remains so we have contacted the Trust to better understand the timelines with the business case and to offer our support to progress this."