Teenage Cancer Ward Officially Opened

7 June 2012, 12:53 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The Teenage Cancer Trust's new state-of-the-art unit at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle is officially opened.

The £220,000 unit opened to patients earlier this year and will provide care for 18 to 24 year olds with cancer from across the North East and Cumbria.

It complements the charity's existing unit at the Great North Children's hospital for 13-19 year olds. Young people aged 13-24 diagnosed with cancer in the North East now have access to specialist services.

The new unit in Newcastle includes seven inpatient beds and will provide a home from home for many young people and their families.

Unlike 'ordinary' hospital wards, it has a kitchen, pool table and a recreational area including a digital jukebox and access to media facilities such as the internet, TV and music.

The charity has also provided a further en-suite room on Ward 33 for patients who are in isolation after receiving a bone marrow transplant.

The new unit will bring young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts in an environment tailored to their needs.

Designed to feel like a home from home, the walls are bright, each room is individually styled, the furniture is funky and there's always a place to watch films and surf the net.

Combined with specialist nursing staff, the unit has everything to make a young person's stay in hospital comfortable.

All the money raised by Capital FM listeners in the North East for our charity 'Help A Capital Child' goes to the Teenage Cancer Trust

23 year old Naomi Jacobs spoke to Capital FM's reporter Anna Harding about how the unit's helped her recovery from cervical cancer