Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

LloydsPharmacy, Royal Surrey NHS Trust team up to deliver cancer treatment outside of hospital

Royal Surrey NHS Trust and LloydsPharmacy have announced a new partnership, offering cancer patients the opportunity to have their treatment administrated without visiting a hospital.

The service, which will be delivered through a new mobile healthcare unit, is part of the LloydsPharmacy Healthcare Centre concept launched in 2017. It aims to help NHS Trusts to provide more treatments outside of an acute hospital setting.


The mobile unit was officially launched earlier this month at an event attended by Dame Judi Dench.

Alison Ansell, Healthcare Development Manager, LloydsPharmacy said: “We understand that going through treatment can be a stressful time for patients, so providing alternative options where they have that treatment can help them feel more in control. Whether it’s in hospital or in a mobile unit, people should be able to choose to receive their care in an environment they feel most comfortable.

“We are incredibly proud to be working with Royal Surrey to provide this vital treatment for their patients and we hope that by working together we can release capacity for the hospital and most importantly, improve the patient experience.”

Patients who have safely undergone two treatments at Royal Surrey can only opt to use the mobile unit to ensure that their consultant can address any side effects that may occur.

The treatments include traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which will be administrated by nurses from LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare. The service is initially made up of five courses of treatment, lasting no longer than three hours each time.

Supplied by cancer charity Tenovus, the purpose-built mobile unit features seven chemotherapy chairs, a relaxing therapy room, modern waiting area, kitchen and bathroom facilities. The fully furnished unit has all the equipment available at the main hospital sites.

Vicki Mumford, Divisional Head of Nursing for Oncology, said: “People are now living longer with cancer and this is testament to everybody who has worked to improve early diagnosis and treatment.

“By bringing chemotherapy into the community we are bringing our expert care and treatment closer to home, which should allow many to continue to lead more normal lives."

This is the fourth LloydsPharmacy Healthcare Centre and third mobile unit to launch since 2017. Once fully operational, the new mobile unit is expected to treat around 80 patients a week.

More For You

​The next generation of BD Rowa Smart launched

The latest BD Rowa™ Smart introduces a more intuitive user interface.

Photo credit: BD Rowa

BD Rowa unveils next-generation smart dispensing robot with sustainable design

Leading medical technology company BD Rowa has announced the launch of the next generation of its smart dispensing robot, offering enhanced convenience with a sustainable design.

Currently in its final development phase, the latest BD Rowa™ Smart introduces a more intuitive user interface designed to streamline operations and enhance the user experience.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent Prescribing: Government aims to complete pathfinder programme evaluation by autumn 2025

Pharmacist prescribers at 210 ‘pathfinder’ sites were allowed to trial prescribing models within integrated primary care services.

Photo credit: gettyimages

Independent prescribing: Pathfinder programme evaluation to be completed by autumn, says Kinnock

Health minister Stephen Kinnock has revealed that the evaluation of the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme could be completed by Autumn 2025.

Kinnock was responding to a question from James Naish, Labour MP for Rushcliffe, who asked what steps the minister was taking to ensure continued support for the Pathfinder Programme and independent prescribing to maximise direct prescribing capacity in England.

Keep ReadingShow less
NHS pharmacy funding not enough 2025: £3.073B deal with £1.99B gap fuels reform debate.

Funding alone isn’t going to be enough to save community pharmacy

Photo credit: gettyimages

New funding contract ‘not enough’ to release the sector from financial blackhole

After almost a year without an agreement, a new funding contract for community pharmacy was finally announced yesterday (31 March).

The settlement raises the baseline annual funding for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) in 2025/26 to £3.073 billion, with an additional £215 million secured to continue Pharmacy First and other Primary Care Recovery Plan services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Free morning-after pill at pharmacies to end postcode lottery for patients

Pharmacy technicians will be allowed to supply of drospirenone for contraception under PGD,

gettyimages

Pharmacy contract: Free morning-after pill to be available at pharmacies soon

The UK government has announced that, for the first time ever, the ‘morning-after pill’ or emergency contraceptive pill will be available free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS, ending the postcode lottery women face in accessing the medicine and reducing inequalities.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed a record £3.073 billion funding package for community pharmacies in 2025/26, alongside an additional £215 million to sustain Pharmacy First and other Primary Care Recovery Plan services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal College status: The PDA calls for ‘meaningful and collaborative dialogue’

The profession’s success will depend on collaboration across all sectors, says PDA.

gettyimages

Royal College vote: Less than 7% of GB pharmacists in favour, says PDA

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has criticised the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) for moving too quickly to a ballot on its proposed transition to a Royal College, arguing that it resulted in low participation from pharmacists in Great Britain.

Announcing the results of the special resolution vote, the RPS said that the outcome was a “clear mandate” in favour of the transformative change.

Keep ReadingShow less