How Birmingham Children’s Hospital is helping Ukrainian children with cancer

The 21 Ukrainian children brought to England for cancer treatment are being cared for at some of the country’s top hospitals, including in Birmingham.

The youngsters, who arrived in the UK with their families on Sunday evening (13 March), are under the care of specialist NHS teams.

They are now being treated at seven hospitals, including at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, where the treatment will be provided free of charge by the health service.

A team of doctors, nurses and technicians from Southampton Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust travelled to Poland at the weekend to provide the children with medical support.

Cancer consultant Dr Martin English led the team from Birmingham who assessed the children and provided clinical advice on their next treatments.

After they arrived in Birmingham, Dr English, said: “I’m pleased to say the children are all safe and doing as well as expected, especially after all the trauma they have endured.

“On arrival, the team were able to assess the children and take care of any immediate medical needs and then allow them to eat, rest and sleep before arranging for them to go to the most appropriate centre and I’m very proud that our facility in Birmingham will be able to provide expert cancer care for some of those children.”

‘As a city, we want to help’

Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said the council will do everything they can to support the families.

He said: “I know how strongly the people of Birmingham feel about Russia’s war on Ukraine and, as a city, we want to help in any way we can.

“So, we welcome these families with open arms and I know they will be brilliantly looked after by the staff at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

“As a council we will do everything we can to support the families – just as we have supported refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Syria and other places affected by war and conflict.”.

The International Organisation for Migration has said more than three million people have fled Ukraine since Russia began its invasion.

Dr Michael Griksaitis, a consultant paediatric intensivist at University Hospital Southampton, led the team and has said he was overwhelmed by the “human tragedy” he saw on the ground in Ukraine.

What has Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said?

Sajid Javid said: “These brave children have overcome unimaginable adversity to make it to England after being forced out of their home country by the Russian invasion.

“I thank the doctors, nurses and technicians who travelled to Poland to evacuate them, and the Polish government for their support.

“These children are now in the safest of hands with NHS staff providing world-class cancer treatment, doing everything they can to support them over the coming days and weeks.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will remain at the forefront of the humanitarian response.”

Which UK hospitals are caring for the Ukrainian children with cancer?

The children are being treated at seven hospitals - they are:

– Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

– University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

– Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

– Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

– Oxford Children’s Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) charities and their local partners are in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries providing food, water, shelter and medical assistance. Learn more and donate what you can today

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