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The NNUH has enhanced its reputation as a world-class cancer treatment hub after it was announced as a thoracic surgery centre.

The Thoracic Surgical Unit at the hospital has become the first in East Anglia to be approved to become a specialist centre in the surgical treatment of chest diseases for adult patients. 

The Trust received the confirmation from NHS England Specialised Commissioning following months of hard work to meet national guidelines.

The team at NNUH are committed to improving the outcomes and experience for patients with thoracic diseases and patients come from across East Anglia for diagnosis and treatment.

Lung cancer surgery is the main surgical disease treated at the unit. However, a whole spectrum of thoracic illnesses are treated.  

The four consultant surgeons at the thoracic unit carried out 220 lung cancer resections in 2018.  

A recent national thoracic audit also revealed that the thoracic unit at the NNUH had the highest one year survival rates after lung cancer surgery in the country.

Filip Van Tornout, lead thoracic surgeon at NNUH, said: “Demand for services increases every year and I am delighted that we have been accredited as a specialist centre in thoracic surgery.  

This is testament to the hard work of the team, which includes surgeons, anaesthetists, critical care physicians, nursing staff, specialist thoracic nurses, respiratory physicians, radiology and pathology staff, physiotherapy and occupational health, thoracic administration, managers and porters, cleaning and kitchen staff.  

We are proud to have developed this service over the years and we look forward to enhancing it further in the future to give the very best treatment to our patients.”

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