King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has revised its projected annual savings from consolidating inpatient blood cancer care at its Denmark Hill site, reducing the estimate from £700,000 to £400,000—a 43 percent decrease. The move involves closing the 12-bed Chartwell Ward at Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington and converting it into a Haematology Day Unit.
Revised Savings and Patient Concerns
The trust originally stated the consolidation would save £700,000 per year, but new figures presented to Bromley Council's Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee show the savings will be £300,000 less. According to the trust, the lower figure reflects planned investment in the new day unit at PRUH. A trust report states: "This demonstrates the trust's commitment to reinvesting in services to improve clinical care and patient experience whilst ensuring sustainable services for the future."
The Chartwell Ward currently costs £1.6 million annually to run, while the new Haematology Day Unit is projected to cost £700,000 per year. The proposal was first announced in September 2025 and drew significant opposition, with nearly 34,000 people signing a petition against it.
Patient Testimony
Matthew Venner, a father of two from Chislehurst diagnosed with stage four Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in December 2023, regularly receives treatment at Chartwell Ward. He opposes the changes, citing concerns about travel time to Denmark Hill and the impact on his children's ability to visit. Mr Venner said: "The fact that the trust appears to have got its figures wrong—or significantly overstated the savings from closing the ward in the first place—comes as no surprise. The current outpatient provision at both the PRUH and Denmark Hill is good. What the trust has failed to explain is how replacing 12 consistently well-used inpatient beds with another day unit at the PRUH will improve patient care. Neither I nor the many patients I've spoken to have been convinced that this is the right decision."
New Operating Model
Under the new model, elective inpatients will be admitted directly at Denmark Hill, while emergency patients will be assessed locally before transfer if needed. Haematology consultants will continue to provide services for inpatients at PRUH, advising on transfers. King's Chief of Division Dr Carmel Curtis previously stated that transferring vulnerable patients between hospitals is common practice, with safeguards such as single-patient minibus journeys.
The new Haematology Day Unit at PRUH will initially operate as a five-day service, hosting Macmillan Cancer Support and haematology psychological support services. The trust plans to expand bed capacity at Denmark Hill by eight to accommodate additional activity. Staff consultations are ongoing, with refurbishment at King's beginning in August, preparations at PRUH in September, and the new model launching in autumn 2026.
