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Clinical nurse specialist recruitment drive to boost youth cancer service in Scotland

The teenage Cancer Trust is launching its nursing and support service across Scotland to deliver specialist age-appropriate care to every young person with cancer, no matter where they live.
Wendy Kay

The Teenage Cancer Trust is launching its nursing and support service across Scotland to deliver specialist age-appropriate care to every young person with cancer, no matter where they live.


The Teenage Cancer Trust’s new services will support people like 17-year-old
Wendy Kay from Perth, who was diagnosed with Stage 3B Hodgkin lymphoma

The charity is recruiting clinical nurse specialists to work across the country, with an aim for nurses to eventually know every young patient with cancer in Scotland and ensure their psychosocial needs are discussed and met.

Dedicated services

Figures from the charity reveal that only half of the 200 13-24-year-olds diagnosed each year have access to a dedicated young person’s cancer services in west and south east Scotland.

Cinical nurse specialists will be recruited to outreach teams at four health boards:

  • Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (NHS Grampian)
  • Ninewells Hospital (NHS Tayside)
  • Western General Hospital (NHS Lothian)
  • Raigmore Hospital (NHS Highland)

Improve facilities

The charity will also provide funding to improve cancer facilities at these four locations.

National lead nurse for teenagers and young people with cancer in Scotland Liz Watt, said: ‘This new service will see additional teams of nurses taking specialist care beyond Teenage Cancer Trust units, to wherever young people with cancer are being treated, whether that’s in their local hospitals, at home or elsewhere.’


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