A CANCER patient has praised the care she received at Leighton Hospital one year on from a major service transfer.
In April 2025, responsibility for the hospital’s haematology services moved from Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
This was aimed at improving care for patients in mid and south Cheshire, and giving them access to specialist cancer expertise closer to home.
Sharan Bannaghan, a 51-year-old hairdresser from Sandbach, has seen the impact first-hand.
She was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2023 and now receives follow-up treatment at Leighton Hospital, expressing gratitude for the care she has received.
Sharan said: "My experience at Leighton has been amazing. My consultant, Dr Georgina Talbot, is fantastic.
"She has really made this experience so much easier to deal with. I’m very happy with the service over the last 12 months.
"Also, my haematology support worker, Carla Pickles, has been wonderful. She always helps with any issues I have and gets back to me straight away.
"All the staff are warm and friendly, and the chemotherapy nurses really put me at ease at such a stressful time."
The Christie has delivered around 1,000 new outpatient appointments, 10,000 follow-ups, and more than 3,500 chemotherapy and supportive care treatments at Leighton over the past year.
Patients now receive specialist care for cancer and general haematology conditions, including outpatient clinics, chemotherapy via the Macmillan Unit and day-case procedures like blood transfusions.
Those needing more complex treatment continue to be referred to The Christie in Manchester.
Dr Talbot, lead clinician for haematology at Leighton, said: "Over the past year, we have built a strong, stable service that ensures specialist haematology care closer to home for our patients.
"Being part of The Christie network means we can offer patients the reassurance of expert care from a leading cancer centre, while allowing them to receive much of their treatment locally.
"This makes a real difference to patients and their families."
The transfer has brought greater stability and improved outcomes, with more patients starting treatment within 62 days of urgent referral and faster diagnoses helping meet NHS targets.
Leighton’s haematology service now forms part of The Christie’s regional network, supporting 320,000 people and linking to other sites at Macclesfield and Tameside.
Dr Faye Sharpley, clinical director for haematology and teenage and young adult services at The Christie, said: "This growing network of local treatment centres allows us to share expertise and learning across sites, makes the best use of NHS resources and, most importantly, improves clinical outcomes for haematology patients across Greater Manchester and Cheshire."
The model aligns with the Government’s 10-year health plan, aiming to provide more care in community settings.
The Christie already works with Leighton as one of 14 local treatment centres delivering chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormone treatments for various cancer patients, with consultants holding outpatient clinics for breast and bowel cancer.
Elsewhere in Cheshire, patients can also access anti-cancer therapies at St Luke’s Hospice in Winsford and at The Christie in Macclesfield, which also offers radiotherapy.
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