Council to challenge children's cancer centre move

Wandsworth Council's leader said they have been opposed to the plans "from the start"

A south London council has said it will challenge the decision to move specialist children’s cancer care away from St George’s Hospital.

Wandsworth Council said it would refer the decision to move the Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) care directly to new Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting.

In March, the decision was made to move children's cancer services for south London and the south east to the Evelina London Children's Hospital, in Lambeth, from autumn 2026.

Treatment for about 1,400 children aged under 15 is currently provided by The Royal Marsden Hospital at Sutton and St George's Hospital in Tooting.

Wandsworth Council said that five other local authorities where children received specialist cancer care at St George’s were "also expected to submit their own referrals" to the secretary of state, and to ask for the decision to be reviewed.

This includes Richmond, Merton, Kingston, Surrey and Sutton councils.

The cancer service currently provided by The Royal Marsden Hospital and St George's Hospital treats children from south London, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Kent and Medway and most of Surrey.

'Serious concerns'

In 2021, new service rules set out that specialist cancer treatment services for children must be on the same site as a level-three children's intensive care unit, but the Royal Marsden does not have one.

This service is currently being provided by St George's in Tooting. Children's cancer care at St George's will also end now that Evelina has been chosen.

Simon Hogg, leader of Wandsworth Council, said the authority had "serious concerns" about moving children's cancer care.

"We are calling on the secretary of state to work with us, and six other local authorities, to look at ways to keep specialist care here at St George’s hospital," he said.

“Getting to Evelina hospital through central London traffic will be challenging at the best of times.

"Travelling by public transport is not an option for vulnerable children who are on immunosuppressant medication.

"There has to be a better solution to these plans."